


The Emerald Ascent

by Sylvas



Series: The Resurgence of Noxus [3]
Category: League of Legends
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-24
Updated: 2016-09-20
Packaged: 2018-06-10 08:51:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 93,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6949357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylvas/pseuds/Sylvas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For two short weeks, Riven and Ahri lived in what might have been a storybook romance - isolated from the rest of the world, with only each other to worry about. But that isn't the way the world works. </p>
<p>Around them, the world continues to turn, Valoran thaws from the Snowdown cold, and eventually, Riven and Ahri will be forced to remember where they were born - and to decide where their allegiances lie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"You don't actually have any idea where we're going, do you?" 

Halfway up a grand cedar was perhaps not the best time or place to be asking this question, but it was when it occurred to Riven, and she doubted Ahri was about to stop and present a good opportunity any time soon. In response, Ahri hoisted herself onto a branch, whirling around to sit on it and grin down at Riven, kicking her feet idly. "We are here, together," she cooed with satisfaction, and Riven laughed and shook her head. 

"You said you had somewhere you wanted to take me!" Ahri's grin just widened, and she darted upwards, all at once resuming her climb. Riven hesitated, taking a brief rest, as much as you could rest while clinging to the stone-textured bark of the elder tree; she glanced over her shoulder at the setting sun, a sight that might have been beautiful to some - but for Riven was only flat, cold... sterile, lifeless. An expanse of white, with a beam of orange and pink smothering itself upon it. This was the view Ahri wanted to her see, almost certainly. Riven dreaded it. 

"I did say that," Ahri agreed, calling out so she could be heard from far above now; Riven shook her head again, and pulled herself upward, loathe to be left behind. Ahri said no more, and vanished into the canopy. Moments later, though, Riven burst through behind her, and sure enough they had breached the upper layer of the forest, where Ahri sat on the last sturdy-looking branch to be found, waiting eagerly for Riven to join her. She coaxed her arms into just a few more pulls, before finally slumping beside the girl, letting out a long sigh and closing her eyes. She felt a delicate touch on her exposed thigh, and as soon as she registered it, warmth suddenly surrounded her, all at once - Ahri had done this a few times before by now, but it still shocked her each time, with how suddenly the spirit fire just wrapped around her, driving away the vestigial winter's chill.

"Thank you," she sighed. Her instinct was to shy away, but the consequence of that was a distraught and hurt Ahri, which was not what Riven wanted at all. So she just welcomed it, letting her breath draw out a bit and stretching her back. She heard Ahri hum with satisfaction beside her. After a moment more, she opened her eyes again, slowly. 

Before her stretched a field of trees, of cold gray limbs laced with lingering snow; each branch caught a piece of the waning sunlight, reflecting it at an odd angle, drawing out the sun's mirror image like ripples in a lake, but frozen in place. She blinked at it, taking in a sight she had not seen before, a sight she had not expected: the lifeless sky she had dreaded above, and the same sky replicated in the forest, as though in stained and broken glass. 

"It's..." Beautiful? Ahri turned beside her, and she felt the girl's eager smile. Always so radiant, this one. Everything seemed to make her happy. Even being sad seemed to ultimately bring joy to her. Riven wished to be so innocent. 

"It's so striking, isn't it," Ahri whispered reverently. "I wonder if anyone has painted this." Riven found herself wondering, too. It was a very Ionian thing to want to paint: symbolic in some abstract way, but natural and peaceful, even as it evoked... not so peaceful emotions. 

"It would make a good painting," Riven replied softly. Again, she heard Ahri hum with satisfaction. Behind them, the girl's tails waved about gently in a silent breeze. Riven's eyelids were a bit heavy, and she let them slip closed again, though the sunset dimly pulsed behind them. 

"Riven?"

"Mmhmm?" She didn't move.

"What sort of human do you see me as?" 

Riven's brow creased, as she parsed the question. This was a rather dangerous one, wasn't it? Ahri was certainly sensitive about the way other people perceived her, especially when it came to "what kind of human" she was (what an odd and specific phrasing). She hoped that nothing had happened to upset Ahri, but decided against asking after it right away. If Ahri wanted to talk about it, she would. "Well," Riven said slowly, remembering the sight of Ahri dancing out of reach in the first moments of the March, the earnest movements of her tails and ears as she alternated between indignant, firm, and defeated during their walk in the canyon the first night, the fright but determination of their second night... "You come across as..." She was struck very suddenly by an image of Ahri's face very close, nothing about her shoulders, laughing. "Very youthful," Riven managed to cough, feeling heat rush into her cheeks. "Very youthful and energetic. You're - playful, but..." 

Then, an image of Ahri sitting here, watching the sunset, thinking to herself: _It's so striking, isn't it? I have to show Riven!_

"But thoughtful," Riven finished, "and sincere." 

She heard Ahri doing her little purring-growling thing, and looked over at her with a little smile; Ahri was not watching her, and instead was watching the sunset, but the wide smile on her face was telling enough. As silently as she could, Riven sighed with relief. Minefield now navigated, she lidded her eyes, a moment of mischief seizing her. "What about me?" 

Ahri's ears perked up and she jumped, looking over at Riven with alarm. Slowly she relaxed, looking down through Riven's feet, her eyes unfocusing and her smile fading into a taut, pensive glower. "Well," she said softly, drawing the sound out as she mused. "You seem... very lonely. It always feels like something is on your mind. But you're sweet, and a little playful, in your own way." 

Riven supposed this was as apt - and as flattering - a description she could have ever hoped for. She was most definitely lonely, and there was generally always something on her mind. There was no point in bringing either of those things up unless she really intended to discuss them, which - to no one's surprise - she did not. So she snorted derisively, in response to the remaining descriptors. "You know, when I was younger, that might come across as an insult - being called 'sweet' and 'playful'."

"When you were younger?" Ahri looked up again, wrinkling her nose. "You were a strange child, then." Riven raised an eyebrow at her, and she laughed, covering her mouth delicately and scrunching her eyes closed - the sight of it made Riven chuckle a little, too. "But then, so was I," she added, apologetically.

"You were a fox," Riven said pointedly. 

"Even by fox standards I was strange," Ahri chuckled. "What sort of Ionian wood-fox is so fixated on staying near human lands? They provide food sometimes, yes, but mostly they just trample your grounds and obscure your scents and chase away your prey, when they aren't hunting. They're such graceless, careless things, humans." Riven laughed, and Ahri grinned; all at once Ahri swung her leg over Riven's and put herself in Riven's lap; Riven flinched, thoroughly caught off guard, and before she could sway backwards she grabbed Ahri's hips, steadying herself. Ahri's tails waved gently behind her, while Ahri sat back on Riven's knees and smiled, now more softly and suggestively. "But," she continued, her voice now low, "I adored humans. They seemed to be so busy, and their lives seemed so rich. I longed to escape the dreary day-to-day survival, and learn what was so worth living for."

"And what did you learn?" Riven almost fumbled through this reply. A very attractive woman had just planted herself in Riven's lap, and Riven was now precariously trying to balance them both on a tree branch some forty or fifty feet off the ground. It would be fair to say she was a bit distracted. 

"It varies from human to human," Ahri cooed, shrugging and closing her eyes. "For each, there is something else that draws them, and many of them don't know what it is yet, but forge on, in their lifelong quest to find it." She grinned, and opened her eyes again, though they were still muted and gentle as they searched Riven's. She was excitable, and could get carried away sometimes, but she seemed almost uncomfortably aware of Riven's... trauma, sometimes. "I think that's beautiful. Don't you?"

Riven didn't know what to say. She pursed her lips. 

"Some humans find their calling," Ahri continued. "And they pursue it to the ends of the earth. I think that might be the most inspiring thing, dedicating your life to something greater than just one person. Humans can accomplish such amazing things together." 

"We can also accomplish horrible things," Riven murmured. Now not only was she trying to soothe adrenaline and maintain stability, she was also trying to keep her thoughts from darkening any further. Ahri leaned forward delicately and kissed her lips - keenly aware of what was on Riven's mind - and Riven closed her eyes and gently kissed back, as much out of a desire not to upset their balance as anything else. But she allowed Ahri to comfort her, nonetheless.

"Yes," Ahri agreed, as she withdrew, inches from Riven's face. "But still amazing." 

Riven nodded, and took a deep breath. "Are we going to climb down from here, or were you going to test my acrobatic skills further?"

"Scared you'll fall?" Ahri's smile grew impish. "Don't you trust me?" 

A chill ran down Riven's spine, and she couldn't help but laugh as it subsided. "You know, you don't have to one-up yourself every time," she chided. "I'd be alright with just normal sex in a bed for once."

"We did that last night." Ahri leaned in to nuzzle her. "And I very much enjoyed it. But what's life without adventure? How are you going to stand on your own again if we don't drop you a couple of times to make sure you get up?" 

Riven pouted. "I think there's an important difference between stumbling a little and falling fifty feet down the side of a tree."

"Semantics. Are you going to make me charm you again?" 

"Really, you're serious about this? Up here?" 

"I am if you are." Ahri wiggled her hips, pressing her knees onto the branch and starting to shift her weight; by some sylvan weightlessness, their perch seemed entirely unaffected. "C'mon. Let's have a little adventure." 

Riven stiffened as Ahri continued to move around her, very carefully leaning back - finding a branch behind her that caught her back and held her up, and Ahri placed her hands on it, over Riven's shoulders, looming above her now in shadow. Ahri's tails waved back and forth rapidly and as one unit now, snapping to and fro with clear excitement. Ahri herself leaned down to Riven's lips again, then trailed kisses down her cheek and neck. They were soft and slow, but to Riven, they felt timid rather than soothing. She leaned her head away briefly to allow Ahri room, but then nuzzled back down, and Ahri lifted up with an apprehensive look. But Riven studied the rest of her. 

Of course, Ahri, the fox that wanted to be human, was blessed with the most beautiful human body Riven had ever seen. Even through her robes and wrappings it left little to the imagination - her slender waist and athletic hips belied her generous bosom, the image of sex appeal that any young woman anywhere would envy. It wasn't fair, honestly, but she thought this with a little laugh in her heart. At least she got to enjoy Ahri's body up close like this for herself. But it was a prize she didn't really deserve - she internally snarled, trying to shake that thought away as soon as it came; she had been around that particular tree hundreds of times over the last few years, the self-defeatism, the pointless anguish. It wouldn't help her. It was the weakness, clinging to her limbs and weighing her down. But it persisted. As Ahri's smile turned a bit hungry, as her eyes began to gleam, they told Riven she didn't deserve to enjoy this. But Ahri deserved to torture her. 

Suddenly, Riven felt a cold sweat breaking, and her heartrate surged not with excitement but anxiety. She wanted to squirm and thrash away - not to escape, but just to take control - but as she started to flex her shoulders the branches around her shook threateningly, and she nearly lost balance, panicking and freezing up. Ahri giggled above her, a leery, domineering edge in her voice. "You can't escape me like this," she hissed. "Exciting, isn't it?" 

Riven wanted to speak - more like scream - but her throat closed when she tried. Ahri leaned into her neck again, oblivious, resting her teeth there; the instincts to both stay still and to desperately escape pulled at her mind, strained further by the spike of pleasure Ahri's little love-bites brought her (that was still a very sensitive area!). She couldn't move, she couldn't move, the panic was building - "Ahri, stop," she gasped, sharply. 

All at once, Ahri pulled up, entirely untroubled by the problem of balance, and again the tree seemed not to care for her weight. Her perplexed expression quickly grew to one of total horror. "What's wrong?!" she cried. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," Riven sighed, closing her eyes and trying to sigh out with relief, to relax herself, but her breath shook and her heart pounded. She was still very trapped, and she still didn't deserve Ahri. "W-We need to get down from here." She gulped, recoiling at the break in her own voice. Weak, Riven. Weak. Weak... 

"Okay," Ahri murmured, the crushing disappointment in her voice entirely too clear. Maybe she had been really excited about the tree play, or maybe she just felt like she'd hurt Riven's feelings somehow, or maybe she was upset to be turned down at all, or maybe it was just all of those things. Either way, Riven crumpled at the sound of it. Weak. Weak. You're a weak girlfriend. You're a weak lover. You can't even handle a little loss of control. (It wasn't a little, Riven tried to say to herself, but it didn't really help.) The fox helped Riven sit upright again, and in a solemn silence, they climbed back down. 

 

When they reached the roots, Ahri was hugging herself and looking away, and Riven was shivering - without direct contact to Ahri, the winter chill could reach her again, its gnawing grabby little claws nipping at her exposed skin, even through her ki. It was only a mild inconvenience; even though the winter storms had let up after the March, they were kicking up again now, and the Institute's barrier could only hold back so much. But more pressing to her than the cold was the sight of Ahri, who didn't meet her gaze, her tails downcast and ears flattened. Weak, she sighed to herself. But she couldn't let the weakness linger. She had to do something, any small thing, to fix it. 

This had happened once before. And then, Ahri had... gone off. So certain that she had wronged Riven, she apologized and worked herself up to tears, while Riven helplessly tried to calm her down. She'd done her best, but she couldn't solve the problems her damaged soul caused. She feared that maybe this was just going to be a constant for her, an unescapable fate for their relationship, that she would... ruin things. Vainly, she tried to promise herself that it would be okay, that Ahri accepted imperfection, but all she could hear in her heart was _weak._ She didn't want to be like this, whether Ahri accepted it or not. Ahri deserved better. Much better. Ahri deserved that sweet fairy-tale love you hear about in childhood stories, of heroes that conquer side-by-side with their love, that requite with a kiss over a battlefield, that survive mortal wounds to return to their lover's side. Damaged, weak Riven wasn't going to give that to her. 

She steeled herself, gritting her teeth and balling her fists. _But damned if I won't try!_

"Ahri," she said, firmly. Ahri's ears perked up faintly, and she turned around, looking sullenly at Riven, as if fearful of reprimand, but Riven was already walking towards her in cold, stomping steps; the fox gasped and jumped, startled, but not far enough away. She grabbed Ahri's shoulders, and as Ahri opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, she lunged and kissed her, backing them into the massive trunk of the tree they'd just dropped from; Ahri squeaked, then groaned, wrapping herself tightly around Riven, and they were wrapped in her ethereal warmth again; the inadequacy was far away, repelled by Ahri's aura, and Riven felt safe again. She never wanted to leave.

"Hi," Ahri said softly, as they broke apart. She hazarded a soft smile, cocking her head slightly, and Riven smiled back, relieved to have mended the mood a little. "Feeling a little better?" 

"Just... up there wasn't... good for me," Riven murmured, guiltily. She didn't want to explain why, and thankfully, Ahri didn't ask; she just nodded. 

"You should have said something," she sighed. 

"I didn't know. I wanted - I wanted to try." 

Ahri nodded slowly, closing her eyes, and resting her forehead on Riven's. "I'm sorry." 

No, you idiot, Riven wanted to shout. "You didn't do anything wrong," she mumbled instead. "I should be apologizing to you." 

But Ahri shook her head. "Let's... go inside, if you'd rather. I'm okay with that. Do you just want to sleep?" 

"We can play when we get back to my room," Riven promised, trying to sound cheerful; Ahri seemed to gravitate to positive emotions more easily than negative ones, so all she had to do was act happy, and Ahri would build on that. "Okay? I'll tell you another story. Maybe one of my favorite ones."

Ahri smiled a little bitterly. "Yeah, alright," she sighed. Riven withered a little, but still dutifully took Ahri's hand and began to walk back with her. She glanced over, and saw Ahri's ears still half at attention, but her eyes downcast. She squeezed Ahri's hand, and the girl looked up, blinking curiously, and Riven smiled. Ahri smiled back, but looked down again. So, Riven started to swing their arms gently. She saw Ahri's smile returning, faint on her face. She started to stutter her steps - almost... ALMOST... gods, if Darius caught her she would die of shame, but she was _trying_ to skip. Ahri looked down at her feet with a bemused expression, then up at Riven, who stopped and looked away, blushing furiously, muttering savagely to herself. But she heard Ahri laugh, and Ahri pranced ahead, skipping sweetly in place in front of her. "Skip with me?" she offered, hopefully, grinning. Riven couldn't resist her smile; she rolled her eyes, and followed her lead. Within moments, they were sprinting, lost in their own little competition once more. 

 

"Tell me about this one." 

Riven had almost forgotten her promise. Not that she minded telling Ahri stories - her wide-eyed fascination with Noxian heroes was adorable, and even though it hadn't been the same since the war, Riven still loved the history of her old home. She craned her head to watch Ahri crawl across the bed, only barely pulling herself from their naked tangle on Riven's bed, grasping an unfinished wooden figure that rested on Riven's nightstand. She hadn't worked on it since the March, but as Ahri handed it to her, she also handed Riven her knife, and smiled expectantly as Riven propped herself up on the headboard with a groan. She held the figure upside down, and delicately flicked the blade upwards across what would be its legs, and the handle of its axe. 

"Sion, the Kingslayer," Riven whispered, reverently. Ahri cuddled closer, and Riven smiled. She couldn't imagine going to sleep alone anymore, not since Ahri's insistence to stay the first night. Her days and nights were both so full, now, devoid of the long silences that made Riven's past feel so near. She felt so full of... right now. 

"He slayed a king, huh," Ahri breathed. "A Demacian king?"

"Yes," Riven confirmed. "Centuries ago, he was a General of High Command, under the last Grand General, Boram Darkwill." Ahri nodded fervently at his name. She knew of him, his unnaturally long reign, the way it declined into political paranoia and martial complacency. "He was a glorious man, and in his time, Demacian soldiers pushed to the capital city, with an army that they say outnumbered ours ten to one." Ahri silently mouthed her awe, and Riven smiled down at her, turning the little figure in her hands to better sculpt what would become his axe. Her shapings were still crude, but they were enough that Riven recognized them, and that was good enough for her. "The Noxian army was set to force a siege, to force the Demacians to fight for every inch of Noxian soil. But Sion refused to languish behind the capital walls. He led those loyal to him through a massacre in the field, charging straight for their king, who waited behind his vanguard to watch Noxus' defeat. He slew every one of his guard, then with all of his wounds he still battled King Jarvan to a stalemate, and with the very last of his strength he crushed the conceited king's throat."

"He died there?" Ahri gasped. "The last of his strength?" 

"Yes," Riven agreed, her eyes dimming a little, as her focus wavered and she imagined what it must have been like to witness his final triumph. "To a Noxian, such a death is the highest glory possible. He is a hero, and we don't remember him because he won a battle - we remember him because he died so gloriously that the world shook at his passing."

There was a thoughtful pause. "Do you not value his life?" Ahri asked, carefully. Riven couldn't help but smile. What a fascinatingly Ionian question. And yet, one that she understood completely. She knew now the value of life... better maybe than any Noxian did. 

"Noxus remembers his life by its finest hour," Riven said calmly. "Against impossible odds, he demonstrated that Noxus will not cow, and we will not be disrespected. He knew his own strength exactly - with every ounce of it, he could march out there and destroy Demacia's King. He could turn the tide of the war that might have ended our history, and he did so. To someone like you, it cost him everything, but to him, it was the only thing worth living his life _for._ "

"Is that what you want?" Riven could hear Ahri trying not to sound agitated. "To die gloriously?"

"It would certainly be better than dying pathetically," Riven observed mildly, lowering her hands to focus on Ahri; the girl's tails swished nervously. "But to me, I think Sion didn't just go out there because he thought dying was all he was good for. He went out there because he wanted to fight, and he wanted to fight on his terms, in a way that he could be proud of." Ahri's eyes narrowed, and her tails swished again. Riven considered new wording: "I think he would have been too ashamed to accept defeat, or even victory, by hiding." 

"That sounds overwhelmingly stupid," Ahri snapped. "To be frank," she added hurriedly. "I-I - I know it's a different culture, but - "

But Riven was laughing. "Yes, we are very stupid at times," she agreed, leaning back and shaking her head. "I can't explain it, Ahri. I've seen a different world now, and nothing is the same for me. But for him, I just... I don't think he saw it as a sacrifice, I think he saw it as a way out. Think of it like this - suppose you had to die tomorrow, but you could live a full life if you returned to being a fox."

"Never!" Ahri cried, pushing herself upright. "I would die!"

"Yes, you would," Riven agreed, satisfied. "To him, it was the same choice. Live through cowardice, or die, and live his life the way he wanted until the very last moment. And in so doing, he changed the world, and inspired generations of Noxians to be so bold and so powerful. I think that's really what makes it so powerful to me... the way he lived his life to inspire others, even if it meant the end of him."

There was another long, thoughtful pause, as Ahri bit her lip, watching Riven's eyes closely. Riven fidgeted with her whittling knife, out of view. Gods, her golden eyes were so beautiful, like the most haunting of harvest moons, beaming down on a windswept field. Never would Riven forget the sight. She loved the way they illuminated the darkness, gleaming. It made Ahri seem powerful and primal, and that made Riven feel... safe.

"Would you make the same choice?" Ahri asked softly, after a few moments. "What if... you could reclaim your glory, and atone for all that Noxus had done in Ionia, but to do so, you had to die?"

And, all at once, the feeling was gone - the room's darkness collapsed and Riven closed her eyes to avoid it. "You know the answer to that," she hissed, heat building in her chest, tensing her shoulders. "You're the only reason I didn't." 

There was a tense pause; Riven breathed more deeply, scolding herself for snapping. "It was a very stupid question," Ahri murmured, at length. "I... I should not have asked. Of course you would."

Riven didn't know what to say to that. She opened her eyes again, apprehensive, but Ahri had also cast her gaze away, and was again chewing her lip, her ears flattened. 

"But, Riven, the thing is," she said, very slowly and carefully; she looked back up, those beautiful golden eyes now soft and deep with concern, with an intense emotional humanity Riven had barely begun to know. "I don't believe in that... that choice. I believe there is always another way." 

Riven's brow furrowed. "If your human body was dying, and you could only save yourself by --" 

"Maybe there is a cure I could find," Ahri said, firmly. "And if not, then maybe I will only bide my time until I may return to my human form. I will not give up. I will not accept an ultimatum, and surrender control of my fate. Only animals do that. Humans - humans forge on, humans bend the world to their will, and that is why they are so great and powerful, and the ones that give up do nothing, and mean nothing, and I will not lower myself to that."

Riven stared at her, in shock. On one hand, what she was saying, implying, about Sion and his legend was... that he had given up, and Riven supposed that she had framed it that way. But on the other, Ahri was not talking about Sion, she was talking about... herself, but surely, she meant to be talking about Riven. And for just a moment, she might have mistaken Ahri's words for those of a commander she would long to follow. 

We bend the world to our will. We will not give up. We will not accept an ultimatum.

"Please believe in yourself, Riven," Ahri whispered. "I know there is another path for you. For all of us. We need only find it." 

Riven smiled. Only one response came to her mind, but she decided it was not a good idea to say it. So she pulled Ahri forward into her embrace; Ahri settled into it, holding Riven tightly, resting on her shoulder and closing her eyes. "Please sleep soundly," the girl murmured. Within moments, she was asleep. 

But Riven didn't sleep so easily, even with Ahri around. She worked briefly, and very slowly, on her figure of Sion, but soon set it and her knife back on the nightstand Ahri had retrieved them from, and closed her eyes - but laid awake, full of thought and memory and wonder. What a strange world this would be, she kept thinking, had Ahri been given a Noxian's body, instead of an Ionian's. If she had allied herself with the Noxians, proven herself in battle, and been swept to the capital in the interest of honing her strength and learning the secrets of her origin and her power. What a different creature she would have been. And yet... still, like this, she sounded Noxian in some pure way that Riven... preferred. 

This was not the first time Riven had thought that, of course, but it was perhaps one of the more striking examples. The philosophical resemblence was something that Riven came back to again and again, not just because of her own personal philosophy... troubles, but also because spending time with Ahri was a decidedly un-Noxian activity. What would Darius, or Katarina, or Leblanc, have thought of what they'd done today? They ran around, playing tag, and Ahri taught Riven how to run between branches in the trees. They climbed a grand cedar, played in its boughs, then skipped and sprinted home. What were they, children!? Yet Ahri's simple, joyous laughter lifted Riven's spirits like nothing ever had, the way she smiled, the way she taunted and played and bantered... she was rapidly growing addicted to the simple pleasure of prancing and playing like a woodland spirit. A part of her feared for her soul. Not that Ahri would consume it, but more that it would just... lose its focus, and she would become nothing. 

_Would that be so bad?_ She shifted uncomfortably. To forget everything, and accept Ahri's love, to accept... mediocrity, normalcy, to fade into nothing... She shuddered. The only thing more abhorrent than that idea was the fact that she was seriously considering it. The alternative was... so much more daunting, to face herself and her failure, forever. But... 

But her choice seemed to be... to give up her spirit, her ideals, and live carefree in Ahri's embrace - for the Noxian in her to 'die'... or to charge into the terror, and overcome herself. The choice should be clear. It should be simple! And yet, she had failed, again and again. Every day that she had risen, alone, and done nothing, brooding and wishing for an end to her suffering, limply wandering from place to place in search of meaning that she knew was dead and rotted away... the choice seemed to be between giving up now, or allowing her hope to bleed away entirely first. Die now, or die later. Either way, she failed. She was weak. 

_I will not give up. I will not accept an ultimatum._

Ahri's words brought her a smile. How fortunate was Riven, to have such a beautiful, wise, wonderful creature so close. She looked down at Ahri, whose eyes were closed - but a bit tightly, clenched. Her ear twitched, and as Riven shifted, she clutched at the exile more tightly, with a faint whimper. _Even you have nightmares,_ she thought with wonder. What was Ahri dreaming about? She hoped that it wasn't about her... but at the same time, she relished the idea that someone so powerful cared about her so much as to fear. Ahri had few things in life to be truly afraid of, after all...

She laid herself down, and Ahri's tails curled protectively around them both, as they always did - and as she had learned to do, Riven cautiously pulled the covers up to Ahri's waist. The fox let out a soft coo of gratitude and shifted, her sleep deepening, and her eyes relaxing. "Good night, divine beauty," Riven murmured, kissing the top of her head. 

"Nini," Ahri mumbled.


	2. Chapter 2

For someone as talkative as Wukong it was very odd for him to be so quiet for so long, and it made Ahri very anxious, even though she was already very anxious, with her arms folded and tails whipping back and forth and everything, and it was still very cold and she was kind of shivering, because she was very unhappy, but hopefully only in a passing way, she didn't like to think that Riven was making her unhappy, and she knew it was just because she was worried, but she couldn't help being worried, and wanting to take care of Riven... 

"Maybe it just wasn't for her," Wukong said, mid-thought, but he'd said this already; he looked up and shrugged comically, as Ahri sighed with disappointment. "I'm not a mind-reader, Ahri! I think you know as well as anyone that humans are a pretty mysterious lot."

"I guess we are," Ahri agreed solemnly, tapping the ground with her foot, watching the forest past Wukong; it was still very early in the morning, so everything was still and dew covered the grass, and no one was awake just yet, except for Riven because she couldn't ever wake up and go out without Riven knowing about it now, but Riven hadn't stopped her, just said she hoped she got to see Ahri that evening, and Ahri wanted to be looking forward to that, so she had to put her mind at ease first. "But - But I feel like it's not that simple," she added, her fingers curling tighter around her elbows. "If it wasn't for her she would have just told me!" 

"She said she wanted to try it." Again, Wukong shrugged, effortlessly twirling his staff between his fingers, while he too tapped the ground with a foot, and Ahri carefully made sure they were tapping in time, because it was a small fun thing that she thought was cute, and she saw Wukong's eyes flick to her own feet, and they coordinated silently and synched up, and Ahri smiled briefly and they continued. "I don't think you just know these things all at once, you know? She tried it and it didn't work out." 

"She - panicked, though," Ahri mumbled, ashamed of herself for not noticing, for not realizing, because she should have known as soon as she was close enough to feel Riven's soul again, the way it had become - brittle and hard, like ice, she should have known something was wrong, but she was too hungry, or rather too thirsty, or maybe she was just too horny, too greedy, too caught up in her own selfish lust to realize what she was doing, the danger and stress she was putting Riven through, awful, awful, awful. "She seemed so... so honestly frightened by something."

"Scared of falling, perhaps?" 

Ahri threw him a glare, and he looked back in false innocence. "She is not so helpless, and you know that," Ahri snapped, but she supposed he didn't really have any way to know that, aside from Ahri's word, but he should just trust her, because she was very confident that even though Riven may have been nervous about the height, with her strength and agility, she shouldn't have really been in any serious danger, and that was why Ahri had arranged it in the first place. "Besides, I was holding her! I wouldn't ever let her go."

"Or maybe there's something more to it," Wukong sighed with exasperation, "but Ahri, if she doesn't want to tell you about it, you aren't going to do any favors just trying to guess it over and over with me, because I have no idea what she's thinking. You can't just assume you know what other peoples' problems are, or that you know how to fix them, you know? I didn't save Master Yi by trying to guess what was wrong with him, I just let him realize for himself what he was doing. I'm pretty sure that's all you can do for Riven." 

Ahri nodded weakly, looking down again, knowing of course that he was right, it was the same as when she'd asked Karma about it, even though she hadn't given nearly as many details, Karma still told her that all she could really do was just be there for Riven, to help her not feel alone, and she really wanted Riven not to feel alone, but she felt like if she didn't know Riven's fears and Riven couldn't talk to her, then in a way she still _was_ alone, and she just wanted to be good enough to really be there, to save a human for once instead of hurting them... 

"Is it because I'm not good enough?" Ahri mumbled. In an instant Wukong was beside her, holding her shoulders; she looked up, only a little startled, because Wukong did move very fast, she knew that very well. 

"No, it's not," Wukong said firmly. "There isn't anyone in the world that could be a better, more inspiring friend than you. All you've done for the last week is keep her company, and talk to me about how you're worried about her, and how you want to help, and... She knows you're there for her, Ahri, and the world is always less scary with a friend by your side. I can't think of anyone that I would want by my side more than you." 

Ahri turned a little red, and she smiled sheepishly. "I'm not as good with a sword as Master Yi," she chided. "The world is probably less intimidating with him around than with me."

"The world isn't just about how good you are at killing things," Wukong said seriously, though he was grinning, he usually couldn't help but smile, Ahri really liked that about him, how cheerful he was even when he was being serious. "You make me laugh! You make me smile. You're a sweet, strange person, that came out of the wild to learn more about humans, just like me. I don't have to be afraid of myself with you around. That's important." 

Ahri wondered if Riven was afraid of herself in Ahri's company. She looked down, because she thought maybe she was on to something with that, that maybe Riven was afraid of hurting Ahri, or not being good enough, the same way Ahri was worried about that too. 

"If anything," Wukong was continuing, "I'd like to meet this girl for myself and see if she's good enough for _you_. You deserve someone that really makes you happy, Ahri, not someone that's going to worry you all the time and make you feel helpless like this." 

"But she - " But she does make me happy, Ahri wanted to say, because she did, at least at first, and hearing her tell stories about Noxus and watching her work on her little carving-statues was very fun, and she wasn't a BAD playmate, but she was kind of dramatic and self-important, all Noxians kind of were, so it always felt like she was kind of dragging Riven around, even though Riven did laugh and smile and seemed to have fun, it was just kind of a chore to get her to do anything, and she didn't want to feel that way, because it made her afraid that maybe she'd get bored eventually, or that Riven would get bored, she didn't want Riven to feel dragged-along either, but then she also thought that her way of spending time with Riven was not very human, and maybe NO one would be really interested in that, and she should try to learn more human things and be more - interesting, or something, but she was a little daunted by that too, she didn't even know where to begin...

"Are you going to bring her back with you?" Wukong asked curiously, letting go of Ahri finally and leaning back on his staff, and Ahri gasped and looked up, quite surprised, she hadn't thought about this at all. "We've only got a week now," he added more seriously, "so you oughtta be thinking about it." 

Ahri hadn't forgotten about it, though, she just was really kind of scared to think about it; at the end of Snowdown you weren't allowed to stay at the Institute anymore, so all the Ionians would go home very soon, in fact they were going early, and it would be fun to bring Riven so she could see Ionia again in peacetime, it was so so beautiful and she had so many things she wanted to show her, places she could get that humans didn't know how to get to, and maybe with Riven's help she could stay in the human cities and not be spat on or looked at funny or called a monster like she usually was, but as she thought about it she knew that it couldn't be, Riven would never agree, not because she didn't want to go, but because - because it still hurt her too much - so Ahri stammered and fumbled, not sure what to say, not sure how to explain what Riven was feeling, but she didn't have to, Wukong was very smart after all.

"So, she's gotta go home too?" Wukong tutted. "That's too bad. What're you going to do?"

"I don't know," Ahri murmured, crestfallen, arms and tails falling limp. "Maybe this was a bad idea."

"Aww, Ahri, don't look so sad!" He lunged forward again, leaning into Ahri's view and looking up into her face. "People stay in touch overseas all the time! And I bet after a little while one of you will be able to visit. You know what, maybe she's just a bit stir crazy, and after Snowdown's over and she gets back home she'll feel a bit better. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Ahri knew that Riven didn't have anywhere to go, but she knew also that Riven liked to wander, so maybe it would be okay, maybe he was right, and she smiled a little bit. "But I would have to live in a city to get mail," Ahri said quietly.

"I think this time you'll make it," Wukong said firmly, grinning toothily. "This is the year where you really cement yourself in human society! You've got a girlfriend, you've got friends, everything's already going your way. Just gotta keep the streak alive!" 

Ahri smiled a little more, even though it was a bit sadly, because she didn't really believe him, and she kind of intended to try something else anywhere, but he was very kind, and it was nice to hear him believe in her with such confidence. "Maybe so," she agreed softly. 

"Yeah!" Wukong leaned back again and folded his arms, nodding with certainty. "Hey, when you're trying to get a job, if anyone needs a character reference, send 'em my way, alright? No one knows how great of a human you are better than I do, I promise."

Ahri couldn't help but smile fully now. "How great of a human am I?"

"You're the best!" Wukong's grin burst, too. "You're the kind of human that is nice to everyone, that wants to help anytime she can, and is always learning new things and working at being better. You're the kind of human everyone should try to be - even a monkey like me!" He laughed uproariously, because he kind of didn't have any other type of laugh, and it was just infectiously happy, so now Ahri was grinning and giggling to herself, even though she kind of still didn't believe him, she couldn't really be upset about it at all. "I can personally guarantee anyone that hires you is going to be very happy they did," he concluded firmly, nodding again. "See? With a ringing endorsement like that, you'll find work in no time, and once you've got that you can get a place to live and start really getting the whole human thing started!"

"What if they don't take references from monkeys?" She tilted her head, letting her smile turn impish, her tails waving about happily behind her in an idle breeze. "Do you think Master Yi will do an impression of you for me, instead?" 

"Ah, perfect, yes!" Wukong clapped, laughing loudly - but briefly - once more. He launched into an overly-monotone caricature of Yi's dramatic, stop-and-start way of speaking, repeating his own pitch: "'She wants to help EVERY one, to learn EVERY thing, and to be better EVERY day. Everyone should be... like Ahri.' Oh, Ahri, no, let's give him a poem. That would be even better."

"Yes!" She giggled. "A haiku!" 

Wukong stood straight, holding up an imaginary piece of paper with one hand, staring down at it with a deadpan, formal expression, while his other hand adjusted imaginary spectacles; Ahri snickered fitfully at the sight of it. "The greatest human," he intoned, in his most earnest Caitlyn impersonation. "Satisfaction guaranteed. There are none better." 

"Oh, by the _gods,_ " Ahri laughed, "satisfaction guaranteed?! You sound like one of those - one of those strange posters they put up around the Piltoverian quarters, have you seen them?" 

"Yes, I've seen them, I know the ones." He grinned, as Ahri calmed down a little, and she realized he wasn't following up, maybe something was on his mind, and she felt a little worried, but still smiled, and watched him expectantly, and he watched her, sighing briskly after a moment, and nodding with satisfaction, for some reason or another. "Ahri, seriously, if there's anything I can do to help you out, let me know, okay? BEFORE we go, this time, so I can actually help you."

"I will," she promised. "Thank you, Wukong." 

He bowed graciously; his staff bowed with him. "And tell Karma, too," he added. "That old woman worries about you a lot more than she'd like to let on, and I'm sure she lets on quite a bit."

"I find that hard to believe," she groaned, but she supposed after all, Karma did try her best, she was trying to be Ahri's friend too, and for all of her bossiness Ahri did like her too, and in the end she would have to tell Karma one way or another, and it was probably best just to be up front about it, and treat Karma more like a friend than a bossy mother. "Yes, I will tell her."

 

 

When Ahri wanted to talk to Karma, she had to find her first; the older woman was a very important lady in Ionian politics now, being a council member and regional elder, but also one of the most respected elders, and also the ambassador to the League along with Irelia, so she was naturally very busy almost all the time, and Ahri preferred not to interrupt her, so the first place she always checked - and sometimes the only place - was Karma's little meditating pad where she went when she was free, in the Ionian building's atrium, which was filled with pretty flowers and arrangements and fountains, though she thought they were a little weird because they were all trimmed and shaped to look like they were very large things, like gigantic oak or willow trees, but they were only a few feet tall, so Ahri felt like a giant walking through a miniscule landscape, and it was just very odd and she didn't really like it, but she supposed it was very symbolic of being human, of being larger than everything around you, but still respecting the natural order and arrangement of things. 

Karma always knew she was coming, and turned to face her as she approached, smiling and gesturing for her to sit, and Ahri sat on her knees at the base of the dais, and Karma closed her eyes again and gently asked: "How has your day been, Ahri?"

"It's been okay," Ahri said quietly. "Um, I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes?" 

"Well, um... we have to go back to Ionia soon."

"Yes, we do." Karma nodded sagely, and opened her eyes. "Do you know to where you will be returning?" Ahri shook her head. "Well, tell me what you are considering."

But Ahri didn't really have any considerations, except one she was sure Karma would not like, but she decided to propose it anyway: "Well, um, you know I'm... I'm friends with Riven now, and..."

She trailed off, because she saw Karma's eyes narrow, and Karma was quiet, and Ahri wrung her hands in her lap and looked away, for all that she thought Karma was bossy, she always felt so nervous about making Karma displeased, because Karma was the first human to take Ahri even a little seriously, and she wanted Karma to keep treating her that way. "I will be alone without her," Ahri finished weakly, but still Karma didn't say anything for a little while, and she felt guilty and stupid and sad, maybe this really had not been a good idea at all, to get into a relationship with someone, but especially outside of Ionia... 

But she didn't want to give up!! She was not the kind of girl to give up on things, and she had gone and told Riven all those things last night, about how she wouldn't accept an ultimatum, and she really did believe that, so she looked up at Karma again hesitantly but trying to be more firm, and to her surprise Karma was watching her very sadly, drumming her fingers on one thigh, kind of looking through her, and Ahri gasped and leaned forward a little. "Karma, are you okay?"

"Yes," Karma sighed. "Alone? Ahri, you don't mean to say that you don't have anywhere to go?" 

"Well, no," Ahri murmured, her eyes flicking back and forth now, she wanted to look Karma in the eyes but she just looked so upset, and Ahri couldn't help but feel that she was upset with Ahri... "I-I usually go back to my woods, but I'd... I don't know. I don't want to do that this year."

"No, of course not," Karma chided. She hesitated, as though she thought maybe she would say something else, and Ahri watched her expectantly, but she shook her head and relaxed again. "So tell me, were you hoping to accompany Riven? Do you think she will allow that?" 

Ahri didn't know, and she hesitated before answering, but then said, "I don't know, I haven't asked her."

"I would advise you do not go," Karma said, but she said it very carefully and slowly. "Because I think it may be best for her to go home, and if she thinks she has to take care of you, she won't want to. You will not be welcome in Noxus." 

Ahri could believe that, so she nodded, but it made her very sad to consider, she did want to see Riven's homeland someday, but she supposed that she would just have to get better at being a human and then she would be able to go, she would be less monstery, and the Noxians would respect her a little more, and that would be good. "But Riven won't want to come back to Ionia." 

"I imagine not, no," Karma agreed. "But if you wish, you could perhaps send her letters. I think she might like that, if you are friends now." Ahri nodded, but was unconvinced, because she would have to live with humans to send letters, but Karma was still talking: "And since you are coming back alone, I think I will arrange to take care of you."

"What?" Ahri blinked, her eyes growing wide, and Karma smiled broadly and her eyes shone. 

"Would that be okay?" She inclined her head. "If I were to bring you home with me? You may stay with me, and be treated as Ionian nobility. I should think you would learn many things." 

Nobility!! Ahri's ears and tails shot up, that sounded so exciting! She grinned and nodded happily, and oh she was so excited now, she was going to stay with Karma and learn about being a human noble and how to interact with other humans, and maybe Karma would give her things to do so she'd have a job, and she would be practicing her skills so she could live on her own, and she could meet other Ionians and be treated normally like just a person that was staying with Karma, and, and --! 

"I'm glad you're excited," Karma laughed, with relief, holding a hand over her chest. "I was afraid I had already damaged my relationship with you too badly."

And Ahri froze, and remembered some of the mean things she had said to and about Karma in the past, and how she had avoided Karma so she could spend time with Riven, how she had kind of lied to her, and been dismissive with her, and... Oh, she had been mean... "I'm sorry," she gasped, "I - I just - "

"I have not been the best caretaker for you." She leaned forward, a sitting bow. "But I will strive to be better. Just as you must learn about us, so must I learn about you." 

Ahri smiled and nodded. "Okay. I will do better, too." 

"Good. We will both strive for enlightenment, as we all do." She straightened again and smiled back, peacefully, with a muted enthusiasm in her eyes as well. "If that is settled, then, there is much we must discuss, no?"

 

 

"So... you're leaving tomorrow then." 

Ahri nodded, swishing her tails back and forth mournfully, her gaze still downcast; she hadn't expected it to be so soon, she had hoped to have more time, time to play and say goodbye and talk about what they would do, but Karma was ready to depart so much earlier than Ahri had expected, and Ahri didn't want to hold her up either, but that meant she only had one last evening, as they walked along through light snowfall, something Ahri was glad to have done with Riven at least once, she had been looking forward to just a peaceful moment like this, especially if she was going to try to be less of a foxy girlfriend, but now she kind of was about to not be a girlfriend at all.

"I'm excited, this is going to be great for you," Riven said kindly, squeezing Ahri's hand, a little thing she did to reassure Ahri, which Ahri thought was kind of cute, and she squeezed back; Riven didn't sound excited, but she sounded happy at least, and Ahri was glad for that, and she nodded. 

"I'd like to write to you," Ahri offered. "If that's alright."

Riven laughed. "Yeah, I'd like that." She smiled more broadly still, her thumb gently stroking Ahri's now. "What will you and Karma do, then?"

"She said that I'll be treated as nobility," Ahri explained, a little more eagerly. "Like a daughter or some other young family member. They'll teach me things and I'll be able to sit in on some of Karma's duties and learn how Ionian politics work."

"Do you want to be a politician?" 

"I don't know, but I would like to learn more about human society." Ahri beamed. "This seems like a really good place to start."

Riven nodded her agreement, humming thoughtfully, focusing her attention forward again, her smile slowly darkening. "What gets me is that she hasn't been doing this the whole time," Riven sighed. "Did she just - turn you back to the wild, or something?"

"I never really told her that I had nowhere to go," Ahri admitted sheepishly. "I - I didn't want to leech off of her, or anyone else, but I didn't... really know where to start."

"Well, better late than never, I suppose." Riven fell quiet, looking through the snow, her eyes downcast, and Ahri shifted nervously, bunching up her free hand to her chest, her little flickers of excitement dying away, as she remembered what this meant - that she was going to be an ocean and then some away from Riven, and they wouldn't see each other until next Snowdown, which felt forever away, and she was worried about how Riven would sleep, how she would keep herself happy, what she would do and where she would go, and how she would know about it, and maybe if she might even forget about Ahri, or decide she didn't like her anymore... 

"We've only been together for a little while," Riven sighed. "Has it really just been two weeks?" 

Ahri nodded faintly, and looked up at her, and Riven was smiling, but her smile was very bitter and sad, but Ahri knew why and she smiled back, again a bit reassured to know that she wasn't the only one worried and lonely, and they walked silently for a few moments; dark clouds obscured the sun and left the afternoon feeling even colder and darker than usual, but Ahri liked the scrunching of their feet in the snow, the way her footprints weren't alone anymore, the way she could spread her warmth to Riven, who had sighed happily as it wrapped around her, ever silently grateful. 

"Two weeks," Riven repeated under her breath, a few moments later, incredulous. "Usually, relationships don't go that fast." 

Ahri nodded, because she kind of knew that, but things were a little special and different with them, and that's why she hadn't wanted to say anything to Karma about it. "Sorry," she mumbled, because she kind of felt like she had made a mistake, or messed something up, and that was why Riven was bringing it up, but Riven squeezed her hand gently, and Ahri squeezed it back, but didn't look up at her, still worried. 

"Don't apologize," Riven sighed. "We're a little different, and that's fine. It just means I'll miss you a lot more this way." 

Again, Ahri nodded, smiling sadly. "I'll miss you too, Riven," she breathed. 

"Well, don't miss me so much you don't have any fun." Riven shifted a little closer, Ahri could feel it, and she wrapped a few of her tails around Riven's back in a wispy little hug, and she leaned on Riven's shoulder and curled her arms around Riven's arm and hugged it, and she squeezed it a little because the more she held Riven and the warmer and closer she felt that soul, the more she dreaded the emptiness that would come when she let go, that might never go away, but she had to be strong, she would see Riven again, and they would write to each other and Ahri would learn so many things and she'd tell Riven all about it, and then next year they'd be reunited, and maybe she'd be strong and human enough to go to Noxus or make Riven feel better about Ionia and then they could be together. 

She realized that Riven had stopped and was holding her, and she mumbled something like an apology, she tried to say 'I'm sorry' but it kind of just came out like a pathetic whimper, but Riven didn't move or respond, she just held Ahri close, so that Ahri could hear her breathing and feel her soul's soft, comforting heat...

"I love you, Ahri," Riven said softly, and Ahri couldn't help but tear up and smile so big, this was what it was like to be human, to be full of emotion - full of sadness and love and hope and regret and fear, this is why she had wanted to be human, and she was so happy that she had made it. 

"I love you too," Ahri managed to reply, faintly, voice cracked. 

"You'll be okay. I'll write a lot, alright?"

"Yeah, me too." She looked up at Riven, smiling as broadly as she could, her vision was a little blurry so she tried to blink the teariness away, and she saw that Riven was smiling down at her too, and she had also teared up a bit, but only a little, she was strong too, and she had hope, and Ahri was very proud of that, that Riven would be sad at their parting but had hope they'd see each other again, that made her very, very happy...

She sighed, briskly, and stepped to the side, and they continued walking, arms linked, silent in the snow, and Ahri felt like maybe this was what it was like for Riven on the march, except colder obviously, but it was quiet and peaceful, and just walking along was very nice, it was serene and calmed Ahri's thoughts, and holding Riven close she felt safe, even from the lonely future, which wouldn't be so lonely anymore because she'd have Karma, and they maybe were better friends now, but she wondered what Riven's plans were, and whether she would be okay; she seemed hopeful and not too upset, so maybe she had something in mind!

"What will you do, then?" Ahri asked.

"I don't know yet," Riven replied, conversationally, this was not a big deal to her, and Ahri supposed when you are an exile wanderer, not being concerned about not having a plan isn't really a stretch. "But I'm thinking maybe it's time to stop wandering, and start... y'know, trying to be better." 

"Will you go back to Noxus after all?"

"I don't know. I might." Again, Riven sounded unconcerned, but Ahri worried now, after the conversation she had overheard with Darius, seeing the way that Riven had recoiled and looked so hurt and cornered, but maybe that was just Riven facing herself, and maybe it was really time for her to go back, but still that worried her in a different way too, because Ionia and Noxus were enemies, and... 

"What if - there's trouble?" Ahri hesitated, not sure how to say this, or even if she should say it, but now it was too late, Riven was looking down at her expectantly, so she had to finish. "We're enemies, aren't we?"

"I might go back to Noxus," Riven sighed. "But I don't intend to work for Noxus, Ahri. It's just... it's time I go make something of myself. When you come back next year, I'd like to have a place for you to stay, or something like that. That's how I thought of it anyway."

"Oh." Ahri smiled. "That's - that's cute. I... Okay." The mental image of Riven doing something menial like working a farm or building or something like that was very silly, but at the same time she respected it, it was a small step, and maybe Riven would be very happy doing something simple, and that was the most important thing: that Riven was happy, instead of being sad and depressed and angry and lonely. "You'll have to tell me how it goes," she added seriously, looking up at her.

"Of course," Riven agreed. "We'll stay in touch."

 

They walked along for a long time, so long that the sun set and the half-darkness turned to full darkness, but the cloud cover broke too and near the Ionian building there was a spot where they could see a band of beautiful stars, and just behind one cloud lurked the moon, illuminating them in pale light, and Ahri felt it was a sight meant for them and only them, a short moment in time where they were truly alone, and she felt Riven's happiness, her soul muted and tranquil, it made her sleepy and warm, and Riven was rubbing behind her ears gently and it made feel little chills and relax, she nuzzled into Riven's shoulder gently, and Riven turned a little so she was facing Ahri, and Ahri looked up at her; 

And then she saw Riven's eyes, ruby moons rivalling the glory of the sky even as it hid behind the clouds from her, and she smiled into them, and Riven smiled back, and cupped her cheek again, and Ahri closed her eyes and leaned up a little, and Riven leaned down into her lips and they kissed, slow and tender, not passionate and heated, not playful and taunting, just... sincere, a moment to relax and to remember, to promise and to cherish, a memory Ahri would ingrain into her mind forever, and they both drew it out as long as they could, unmoving in each others' embrace, and Ahri even willed her mind to be silent, to... stand still, so that she could... 

... 

 

... then they parted, and Ahri's eyes stung, but still she smiled, and Riven smiled back, but the exile sighed rather heavily, as she let go of Ahri's hands. "Get some sleep," she said quietly. "The road to the coast is long." 

"I love you," Ahri breathed, and Riven nodded and her smile grew a little. 

"I love you too." She hesitated, still smiling into Ahri's face, wistfully, longingly, but then she turned, and Ahri watched her walk back down the path alone, arms crossed, towards her quarters in the Independent complex, and only once she was out of sight did Ahri finally go inside, where Karma was waiting, where her designated room would be, the place they would come to retrieve her in the morning, and then she would not come back to the Institute until the next Snowdown.


	3. Chapter 3

It took some time for the wind to pick up enough to shiver Riven back to consciousness. She grumbled and feebly raised her head, enough to recognize what had happened - sitting outside, wrapped in a thin blanket, she had dozed off while reading. _I guess any sleep is better than none._

She stretched and yawned, blinking and rubbing her temples, before gazing up at the sky, attempting to gauge the time. She'd come out here in the early afternoon, but the clouds had darkened enough that the sun surely had set by now, and she didn't remember seeing the sunset while reading. It was just a newspaper, anyway; she wouldn't have stayed out this long on her own. So... a couple hours of rest, then. _I bet that's all the sleep I'll get today,_ she grumped, pushing herself up with a grunt; no use staying outside, even if the Snowdown storms had largely subsided by now. She'd just be shivering in the cold for nothing. Might as well spend that time reading somewhere comfortable, or touching up her Sion figure, or something similar. Or trying to sleep. 

That was the thing; ever since Ahri had left, sleeping had been difficult - easier than it had been before meeting Ahri at all, but not by very much. Every night came in cycles: come close to sleep, think of or remember some horrific memory, and sit awake for hours after, dully attempting to forget it again. Ahri made it hard for her thoughts to drift, and when the darkness invaded her dreams, Ahri woke and soothed her before they could get too severe. Now, without her, the nightmares had returned in full force, and the nightly struggle simply drew on longer and longer as she alternated between grumbling to herself to leave the past behind and focus on tomorrow, and lamenting that she wouldn't get to spend that tomorrow with Ahri. She had almost forgotten how... lonely, and pointless, her life had felt before. 

And now, in a way, it was even worse. Before, she had felt hollow, left without meaning or purpose, blindly walking forward in hopes of finding it again. Now, she had a glimpse of what that meaning might look and feel like - and it was gone again, and rather than being soothed by the memory, she was taunted by it. Part of her thought the answer was simple: hole up and wait for Ahri to come back, wait out the depression and the loneliness, because it would end, and she'd be happy again. But she hated that part, she seethed even just thinking about it, because that was the same part that thought to give up on herself, to just accept whatever Ahri wanted for her - and now, without Ahri's presence, she could recognize it for what it was: the Weakness, worming its way into a new opening, taking the guise of love and contentment. _Cut away the things that make you weak, before they kill you._

She could give up on Ahri. Or she could give up on herself.

Or, she could find a third path.

_Not that that wasn't obvious at this point,_ she snarled to herself. Things wouldn't get better magically by themselves, nor would they get better by simply throwing aside one trauma or the other, and Riven knew that. For now, she just had to figure out where she was going, a decision she was no closer to making than she had been when Ahri had asked her, almost a week ago. She'd kind of hoped to be able to stay until Ahri's first letter came, but reasonably speaking that wouldn't be for another week - even if Ahri was probably arriving at the Placidium by now - and the sanctions allowing Riven to stay were going to end well before that. She kicked at the half-melted snow beneath her boots as she walked, growling silently at it. When Ahri had asked, it had felt like an exciting turning point: time to go out and renew herself! But now, it just... felt an awful lot like wandering. It didn't matter where she went... she'd just end up back here again. Or worse. She rubbed a temple and grunted, trying massage away the oncoming headache; she'd gotten used to the sleep deprivation, and now she'd gotten used to sleeping, and lying awake at night as making her irritable again. She welcomed it, in a way. It was the faintest sign of progress: she felt annoyed, at least, instead of just feeling nothing at all.

She sighed, and lifted the paper she'd been reading, dazedly - _Virtue of Valoran_ , an editorial focused on international news. This issue was a few days old now, and she'd already read it by now, but the front headline still gave her the creeps even as she just glanced at it: 

_NOXUS DIVIDED: HIGH COMMAND CLAIMS TREASON_

_Allegations of kidnapping and treason are being investigated after representatives of Noxus and Demacia were accused of infiltrating classified Noxian facilities. Noxian representative Katarina Du Couteau and Demacian representative Luxanna Crownguard are currently residing under asylum at the Institute of War, after Crownguard disappeared without leave and Du Couteau was caught trespassing with an unknown person less than a day later. A Demacian search party located both of them returning to the Institute, but they denied initial charges of kidnapping and escaped. Under international law, the Institute of War grants asylum to representatives that plead innocence until an investigation has been completed._

_"The motivations behind their actions are still unknown," said Emilia Leblanc, who apprehended the representatives after catching them in a warehouse owned by the Black Rose, but was unable to return them to Demacia before they escaped. "Katarina has had a less than supportive relationship with the Black Rose since our re-emergence, however. It's likely that this was intended to undermine Noxian authority."_

_"Luxanna's actions are unprecedented," Garen Crownguard, Luxanna's older brother and captain of the Dauntless Vanguard, had to say. "Such a defection is unthinkable for a member of the nobility. Demacia demands justice for whatever and whoever is responsible for Luxanna's disappearance."_

_There is concern that there are deeper meanings to these actions that are not yet apparent, however. Legendary Demacian tracker Quinn was present for the confrontation, and cautions that investigating parties not jump to any conclusions._

_"Lux has never struck me as the most stable person," she said, "but she's a good girl at heart. She's inspired a lot of people, and I can only hope that she remembers them before making any rash decisions."_

_Katarina has not received the same level of support from the home front. Acting swiftly, her younger sister, Cassiopeia Du Couteau, has seized legal matriarchy over the Du Couteau household, a title previously held by Katarina._

_"Katarina has acted selfishly and with blatant disregard for the standing of her family or the well-being of Noxus," Cassiopeia said. "This is far from her first offense, but it is without a doubt her most severe. Noxian nobility ought to set an example for the rest of Noxus to follow, and Katarina has failed to act with class, discretion, or reason."_

Riven sighed, and lowered the paper again. There was little else of consequence there; the important information, she knew, came between the lines. She'd always taken a keen interest in Noxian history, but after the... exile, that interest stemmed out of paranoia rather than adoration, and now she leaned more to the present than the past. Katarina's 'less than supportive relationship' with the Black Rose was probably related to the rumors that they'd assassinated Boram Darkwill, and quite possibly even General Du Couteau himself, the girls' father. It was tragic enough to consider that he'd died at all, given his status as a role model for contemporary Noxus, but to think it was part of some internal scheme was outright disgusting. But the real question was: why was Demacia involved? _How_ was Demacia involved?

 

Something was happening ahead of her; she looked up, putting her thoughts on hold. Before her ran the path to the Independent complex, but crowded outside her building was a huge crowd. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned their ranks, noting their signs, their rhythmic shouts. Protesters...? Sure enough, as she drew closer, she could see the signs more clearly - "Release the Traitor", "Noxian Criminal, Noxian Judgment", "Blood for Noxus" - and she could also see officials between them and the building, helplessly trying to contain the crowd; swords were being drawn and torches were being thrown and swung. She sneered, folding her arms and storming forward, crumpling her paper in her fist. She was so not in the mood for this. 

Their chants, demanding Katarina's release, rose in volume, drowning out all other things. _Let me through,_ Riven hissed, but only to herself for now. This was her building, and she didn't care if Katarina happened to be here or not, she was going to bed, and these assholes weren't about to keep her out in the cold any longer than she had to be. But they didn't disperse as she came close; instead, they began to yell at _her_ instead. "We're here to take back what's ours!" one man roared, and the others around him cheered, turning to face her, brandishing torches. "Don't interfere in Noxian business!"

"Don't interfere in my business, either," Riven spat, without stopping. "I'm here to sleep. Let me pass."

"Institute lapdog!" a woman screeched, and more roaring cheers joined her. They began to advance. 

"Idiots, stay out of my way!" Riven unfurled her arms, hurling the paper aside - never was she unarmed, and the massive hilt of her sword was already drawn now. The thing about Noxians is, they'll listen to your words, but only if they see you're going to fight them if they don't. Sure enough, the crowd buckled, leering at her at their distance, but that wasn't good enough for her. Threat made clear, she began to advance again. Only barely did they part to make room, but she didn't have the energy right now to be picky; blade still clenched in her fist, she stomped through them, shoving them roughly aside as necessary.

"Coward!" someone yelled. "That's Noxian armor! Traitor!" roared another. "Traitor! Hiding Noxian fugitives! You're a traitor!" The cries began to build around her, and she gnashed her teeth as they did. All it normally took was one leery gaze, one accusatory catcall, to keep her awake for a night; such was the power of the Weakness. With all of this, she fumed, she was sure she was not about to get sleep anytime soon, and after several nights of near-sleeplessness she was all out of patience for this. But - all she could do was wish they would be quiet. To silently beg them: Shut up. Shut up. _Shut up, shut up, shut-_

Someone lurched into her path - she stomped the ground and brandished her weapon with a screech, and a pulse of force echoed out of her, an expression of her ki that she had once used long ago to break her sword. The man was thrown onto his back, skidding a few feet away, his torch clattering past him, and the opening in the crowd expanded as they recognized what was happening. Now their eyes were all on Riven. She had attacked them.

She suddenly felt intensely ill. Filled with adrenaline as she was, her instincts screamed at her that this was familiar, that she had no time to think, it was her or them - _There are no Melters, you idiot, it's just some drunken rabble, just keep moving--  
NOW! the girl screamed --_

She knew that another was approaching, and she spun around, her sword waving in a wide arc to follow her; that one narrowly avoided his stomach being sliced open, and then there was another behind her again - she had to face him, and she tried, but now there were two on either side, she was being flanked, she had to - _NO, STOP THIS._ She dashed backwards and whirled to face the building again, throwing her empty arm out wide and knocking those coming at her aside; weapons were being drawn on her, she watched those in front of her closely for the glint of steel, and sure enough she caught it, a blade rushing for her stomach. But she effortlessly snared it in the massive width of her own weapon and slid it to one side, before throwing herself in the other direction to gain distance. She barrelled a few over, and whirled on her heel with a roar, lashing her blade out in a circle; as she expected, it soared over the heads of those closest that had fallen, and the others all backed hastily away, now raising their own weapons. 

She clutched her head with her free hand - gods, it hurt, it pounded at her, a distant memory of screaming competing with her own insistence that this was NOT A CRISIS, that NOTHING WAS WRONG, the protesters were gathering their strength again and she leveled her sword - this was stupid, she had to just take control of this, she had to shut them up!

"CEASE THIS," she bellowed. "Will this be how you die?! Slain keeping a veteran out of bed?!" There was an echoing silence, as Riven pointed with the jagged edge of her weapon in a circle, meeting the eyes of every protester, steadying her breath and lowering her other arm. "Stand aside," she snarled. 

"That's it, pack it in," another man shouted, behind them - an armored official, his sleeve marked with Noxian war stripes, spreading his arms as if to shoo them. "You're officially disturbing the residents! Get out of here!"

"Coward," one protester spat at him, and he groaned with exasperation as others started to chime in - but Riven would have none of this; she roared and slammed her blade downward, feeling the ethereal shove as the blade's ghostly image met the earth, and the ground shook with the force of it. Again, the protesters were silenced, now staring at Riven in awe.

"STAND ASIDE," she roared. "I will not ask again! Bar my way further and Noxian blood will be shed!" 

"Miss, you can't - " One of the other guards, to one side, started forward, but the Noxian captain from before quickly held him back, and Riven met his eyes; his gaze was tired, but steely, and Riven thought she saw a scar running underneath one eye, mark of a battle well-survived. She glared back at him, daring him to stop her, too. In that moment any challenge would be swiftly reciprocated.

"Leave these grounds," Riven hissed, again addressing the crowd. "Go back to your homes! Don't make me regret returning your lives to you!" 

No one dared to taunt her anymore. Slowly, they began to trickle away, and within a few minutes the crowd was no more. At last Riven sheathed her weapon again, groaning and rubbing the elbow of her sword arm, limply turning to enter the building. At this point, she just wanted to sleep. But, as she approached, the two guards from before stood at the threshold; the Noxian watched her tiredly, and the other, with clear anxiety. She looked between the two of them, incredulous.

"What do you want," she groaned, to the Noxian. 

"Building is under lockdown," he said curtly. "Have to confirm your resident status to let you in."

"Riven, of no affiliation," she sighed, drawing her sword. "Look. My sword is broken. It's about as effective as any ID."

"Ma'am," the second began shakily, "do you mean to say you don't -"

"Shut up, moron," the first hissed, glancing over at him. "Riven, listen, I can't officially let you in until the lockdown is over."

"So unofficially let me in," Riven snapped.

He laughed. "With your permission, I could escort you inside, instead?"

"Fine." 

 

"It's fortunate those fools didn't press you further," the man commented, idly, as he followed Riven through the atrium. The Independent buildings were all quite large - hosting most of the Institute staff, in addition to more specialized residents like Riven. She sighed; she supposed it was nice of him to make an exception for her, and to hold back the other guard so she didn't have to make a bigger mess of things than she already had, but she just couldn't bring herself to want to talk. Pain still streaked through her head, her exhaustion now empowered by flashbacks and an adrenaline crash.

"Yes, it is," she agreed curtly. Maybe he would get the hint.

There was a little pause; she realized maybe that he had. 

"Thank you for your escort," she added, trying to sound sincerely grateful. Right now, it was hard to sound sincerely anything. 

"Hey, thank you for helping us clean that mess up," he snorted. "I don't know how they expected us to calm them down without drawing on them."

"Ah, yes," Riven sighed, "that would explain it." It did sound apt of the Institute to insist that weapons can't be drawn in situations like that, but calming down a Noxian crowd unarmed was pointless at best.

"'Weh, you can't hurt anyone here, it's against the _rules,_ '" he whined, in an apparent imitation of his coworker. "What a load of shit. It's a damn good thing we're around for staff-aug, their full time guards are goddamn useless."

Riven snorted. "You're not full time, then?"

"Mercenary. Name's Vaughn. I lead a small troop that usually works the Noxian frontier." Riven slowed to walk alongside him, glancing up; he removed his helmet, shaking his head to clear lanky black hair out of his face. He was a bit of an older man, rugged as anyone patrolling the frontier would be. The scar she had seen before drew a line from his lip to near his temple. "Hate to push you on a hard night," he continued, looking across at her, "but I got a glimpse of your bladework there, and the way you wove through that crowd..." He motioned in a zig-zag with his hand, shaking his head. "Tell you what, if we're doing more domestic work like this, having someone like you around would be invaluable."

Riven blinked, totally shocked. "You're - asking me to join your troop. Really? Right now?"

"Well, no, think of it like this," he grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm asking what your plans are after sanctions end. 'Cause we're looking to go back to the capital area, and hell, maybe we're going the same way."

She narrowed her eyes again. "So you're hitting on me."

"No-" he laughed again, and rolled his eyes. "No, I'm not. You're just not the only veteran. Not everyone wants to stay the 'path of glory', once they've walked it once." 

Riven fell silent. Even her mind grew still, the ache briefly feeling distant. She... wasn't alone.

"So, if you're interested, come find me tomorrow," he finished roughly, coughing and pulling his helmet back on. "And if you're not, I'd appreciate if you didn't tell anyone we talked. I'm not supposed to."

She smiled faintly. "You don't have to worry about that." She nodded forward. "I'm right here."

"Alright." He stopped, and Riven turned back. "Have a good night, Riven. Thanks again." 

"Thank you," Riven said quietly, as he turned and walked out.

 

She didn't sleep that night, as she expected. But she hadn't expected it to be because of excitement. Even as some part of her recoiled with dread from the idea of traveling with strangers, Vaughn's words echoed in her mind. _You're not the only veteran._ She'd never met another Ionia veteran - they had all gone home shamed, and refused to talk about it, to try to rewrite it out of their history, a feeling Riven understood deeply. But maybe not all of them. Maybe some of them survived, but didn't go home at all.

So all night, she planned her approach. When she caught the first ray of sunlight, she packed her things; there was little to bring, for someone like her who spent most of the year on the road. Then, she strode out in search of Vaughn and his company. The clouds that had plagued the Institute were beginning to clear away, and those that remained reflected the morning's orange and pink sky; snowdrifts were beginning to melt away enough that, in traveled places, Riven could make out paths and grass again. She passed where the crowd had been the night before, and circled the Independent complex, before coming to the Court of Nations, the grandest building of the Institute. In the main courtyard to the south, she found them, and slowed her advance, trying to remember how she'd decided to introduce herself, what she would say - it had been so long since she'd spoken to another company of warriors, one that she... wanted to impress. She didn't feel ready. 

There were four of them - 'small' indeed; she recognized Vaughn as the eldest immediately, and beside him was another man, younger but slightly taller; then two women, one young and sprightly, studying Riven keenly, and the other older and more inviting, who turned to face her as the watcher alerted them to her presence. "Ah, Riven," Vaughn announced, smiling and stepping forward. "Here's the one. Rhea, you remember?"

"Yes, I do," the elder woman said gently; her voice reminded Riven of Leblanc's, without the sneering, sinister edge; it was mature and intelligent, but warm rather than snide. Even just that faint resemblance was enough to tense Riven's shoulders; she didn't know for sure, but it was wise to assume that they were all Noxian, and... well, she couldn't be sure how trustworthy Noxians were anymore. Still, Rhea stepped forward and offered a hand, and Riven shook it firmly. "It's nice to meet you. You don't mind having a bit of company on the road, then?"

"I'm feeling open-minded," Riven said, a bit stiffly. _No, you idiot, be more friendly._ She had to restrain herself from sighing angrily. All of that preparation, just abandoned at the last moment. Of course. "I-It's nice to meet you too," she managed to add, tearing her eyes away, and then looking at Vaughn again. "I'm ready whenever you all are."

"As I can see," Vaughn observed with amusement. "Well, we were thinking of having a bit to eat before we went. Fancy coming along for that?" 

She looked, hesitantly, between the four of them. Vaughn had his arms folded, his smile fading just a bit, reverting to a more neutral expression; the youths stared at her, the boy in wonder and the girl with apprehension, and Rhea just smiled, arms behind her back, watching and waiting for an answer. She still felt out of place. But... things don't magically get better by themselves. She took a deep breath and looked back at Vaughn. "Yeah, that sounds good," she grunted. 

"Great. Then as the newcomer, you're buying." Vaughn's eyes twinkled with laughter, and Riven groaned. 

"It's the rule," the younger girl intoned, with entirely too much gravity, and Riven immediately knew she was being tested. That somehow felt familiar to her, and she smiled, and rolled her eyes. 

"This is your con," she teased, glaring at Vaughn playfully. "You'll make me spend all my money so I HAVE to work for you."

"Oh no, she's onto us!" Rhea giggled as she spoke. The younger girl smiled a little, and relaxed. The others laughed along with them, and Riven allowed herself a little chuckle. _See, Riven? Not so bad so far._ She closed her eyes, and imagined Ahri watching behind them, fists balled with excitement and waving enthusiastically, delighted to see Riven go. _Just let something good happen to you, for once!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey, Ahri!_

_I was kinda going to wait for you to write to me first, but I decided that was kind of a dumb idea. You're still traveling and all. So I hope this gets to you before you write to me! Otherwise this would be pretty awkward._

_There was a big riot here after you left; people are really riled up about some international asylum incident. I had to clear them out just to get to bed! But I met a mercenary that night, he was being paid to act as a guard during Snowdown, and he invited me to travel with his troop. I thought maybe it would be best not to go alone. They're all really friendly! It's nice to be with friendly Noxians, instead of self-important ones. I think you would really get along with some of them, especially Rhea. She's so nice I almost don't know what to do with her. And she's good with a sword, too! I'm getting a lot of good practice in. Honestly, I've been feeling great, aside from at night. You're still the best in the world at helping me sleep._

_I guess I should introduce you to all of them at some point. But for now, there's Rhea, like I mentioned - she's really nice, she's from the capital; she ran out on a noble family that wanted to marry her off for power, and she learned to fight after that. Really cool and really nice woman. There's Vaughn, he's the leader, and he's a bit lax but I like him a lot too. Doesn't talk much about himself, but that's fine with me. Then there's Keith. He's a bit younger, and he kinda looks up to me, I guess? I kind of get the feeling I'll need to tell him about you at some point, before things get... awkward. Lastly, there's Zoe, and I can't tell whether she really likes me or wants to kill me... Maybe both. But it's a good thing for Noxians! I think she sees me kinda like a rival, and I feel like maybe I could use a rival, you know?_

_I hope your travel has been alright. The Placidium is supposed to be absolutely beautiful. Make sure you enjoy it a lot for both of us, alright? Tell Karma that I say hello, if you don't think that'd be weird. Learn a lot and have fun. I can't wait to hear all about it!_

_With love,_

_Riven_

 

Ahri beamed at the letter, and read it again and again, mostly just because it was so cute and fun, Riven sounded so happy now, or - looked? - how do you talk about letters? - but either way it was cute and nice, and she hadn't expected to get something so early, she'd only arrived week ago or so! And honestly she was also just glad to be reading a letter at her new desk, because she had a desk, among many other new things, and she loved to make use of them as much as possible, she had a few neatly stacked papers that were little assignments and things she had done, reports she had written, and then another stack of reports she had read, which was much bigger, she should take those back eventually, but she still wanted to reread some of them at her nice desk, or out in the veranda, or in Karma's cozy little study that she was allowed to use, she hadn't been in there much. 

She stretched and yawned, it was still a bit early in the morning, she did rise very early now, well before the sun came up, she couldn't help how excited she was, she liked being able to wander the Placidium before her lessons began, but she was very happy about her lessons so far, even though it hadnt been very long and they were a lot of work, she was already learning so much, and she felt so - very different! Her instructors were nice and just got into the lesson with her, except her combat instructor Saarya, who was very strict, but she liked her a lot anyway, and also her etiquette teacher - Olivia - she was really fun, and not strict and bossy at all, she loved that one maybe the most, and that was her first lesson of the day, and she was very excited to go, so she decided maybe she would go early, because it was respectful and professional to show up early to things.

She stood and crossed to her mirror, and looked herself over, smiling and briskly smoothing out her coat; she wore a kimono now, though her old wraps and sleeves were hung neatly in her closet (she had a closet!!), and she had to keep her kimono very nice, and since it was very cold she wore a loose coat over that, her hair was braided all nice and lovely in little tassels that Karma had shown her how to do, and she was still getting used to doing them herself but sometimes at night she'd take them out and then braid them again, just for practice, and she didn't really think it was her favorite look but she supposed she would learn better ones later, and for now it was very formal and pretty, and that's how she liked to look for the time being, to impress her teachers and anyone Karma might have her meet. 

So, she admired herself and her hair for a moment, and fanned out her tails symmetrically and let them wave a little, and she thought how beautiful she looked, and how... strange and exotic, maybe, but still wonderful, so much more human than before, and she grinned and pranced on the spot, and then dashed off to where Olivia would be meeting her. She arrived at just about the right time, and sat down on her cushion, across from the tatami mat where her instructor would sit, and sure enough she arrived as well, just a bit early, and greeted Ahri and sat across from her. 

"How has your morning been?" Olivia asked, kindly. Ahri took deep breaths, and closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on just... breathing. It was important to slow herself down, so she could speak properly, even though she knew she was already very good at that. 

"Very nice, thank you," she replied, opening her eyes again and looked deeply into Olivia's. The older woman did not falter, and smiled back warmly. "I received a letter from my friend, at the Institute."

"That does sound nice," her teacher agreed. "How are they?"

"Very well." Not good! Well. The distinction was important! "It sounds like she has found new work for herself, and is getting along very well with her new companions."

"How wonderful." She bowed her head. "Well, Ahri, let us begin."

And then they talked for a while, and Ahri focused on learning to keep her tails still, and to make gentle little gestures, to meditate while she spoke to remain calmer and think more slowly and keenly; because Ahri was already very polite and kind, and mostly needed to learn to control herself, so she didn't move around so much and make a scene everywhere she went, but Olivia had learned very quickly that she thought too quickly for her own good, and so she adjusted her lessons to fit Ahri's needs, to be more about controlling herself and maintaining Inner Peace, and Ahri really loved when she was able to do it, because she thought more slowly and could really focus and think, but it was exhausting. 

Then there was her history lessons, and she turned in her papers and they talked a lot about ancient Ionian history, things Ahri never knew about humans, they talked about a dynasty lasting generations, and the philosophers that discussed the issues of perfection and balance and enlightenment, that honed Ionian culture to be what it was today, and Ahri had never thought about history like this - the way that the actions and ideals of people thousands of years ago would shape the actions and ideals of modern people, but in a very literal and direct way, and she thought often of Riven's stories, about people like Sion that inspired Noxus to be greater than it was, to seek an honest death with integrity instead of giving up your life for something you didn't believe in, and she wondered what culture Noxus had lived in to make Sion think that way, and she wished she could ask her teacher, but she knew someone she _could_ ask, and she was really excited about it and it made it hard to focus and listen!

And then in the afternoon came combat instruction, and she had to change out of her nice kimono; she had other rougher vestments that she used for that, so that her kimonos and jackets wouldn't be damaged, and even though it was kind of a pain to change in and out of those clothes when she was used to just fighting with whatever she was wearing, it felt a little bit more real and she liked it that way. She practiced with several traditional Ionian weapons, but she and Saarya agreed that she was clearly best with the naginata, a spear with a curved blade at the end. She loved its versatility, and Saarya taught her to flow and to move herself rather than the weapon, that all weapons were an extension of herself and that had to inform how she moved with it, and she said that since Ahri was so fast and so good at moving, she should focus on translating that into attacking and dodging with as many weapons as she could, but Ahri really liked the naginata best, and was definitely closest to disarming Saarya with it. 

And she learned something about herself that she hadn't known before - that she loved fighting. She loved it. 

It was everything fun about running and playing and dashing and laughing, but it had all of the power and purpose of being a human infused into every motion; even when she was just trying to learn, it was still her knowledge against the teacher's test, and in a way the fight wasn't between their bodies but their ideals; Ahri fought viciously and without relent because her ideals were strong, she wanted to learn and to prove herself, and she refused to be beaten, even when her teacher disarmed her, even the first time with the katana when Ahri had to be shown how to hold it and swing it properly nearly a dozen times, she refused to be bested, she put her heart into every movement, and even when she lost, it just felt amazing to be fighting so hard for herself and what she believed. 

"You did well today," Saarya said, at the end of their lesson, and Ahri grinned toothily back at her, glad for her praise, because it was a little rare.

"I feel really good." She drew herself up proudly, though she was panting, because she had worked very hard. "Thank you so much for teaching me again today!"

Saarya huffed, but she was smiling. "Just doing my job," she snorted. "It'd be a shame if someone as vibrant as you couldn't defend herself out there." She shouldered the bag she used to carry around most of the practice weapons, with a heavy grunt, but she was tough and carried the weight without difficulty. "We'll work more with the naginata tomorrow," she called curtly, "so I expect you to be ready to move!"

"Yes, miss!" Ahri bowed, and Saarya bowed back stiffly, before taking her leave.

So then came dinner time, and by then Ahri was fairly tired, which was unusual for her, but very fun, she didn't usually have so much to do that she was drained by the end of the day, and it felt wonderful to be so busy and so full of new things. Karma apparently did not eat much meat, but she had adjusted for her new guest, which Ahri appreciated very very much, and she was sure to thank Karma for it every time they ate together, which was most days, only on the days where Karma was busy was she allowed to take her food back into her own room, which Ahri thought was alright, she had to practice her polite eating anyway.

She and Karma would chat, and Karma would ask how her lessons were going, and she said at one point she wanted to take Ahri out to one of her meetings sometime so that she could see what it was like, and Ahri was very excited about that; and after dinner, they would part ways and Ahri would work on her assignments, she would exercise and stretch, she would go for walks in the gardens, practicing staying calm and not going out and running or climbing, even though she wanted to very much. She didn't really know what else to do with her evenings, she just loved to be out with nature, but the gardens were manicured and neatly kept just like the ones in the Ionian building of the Institute, so it didn't feel especially natural, and even though there were places she wanted to climb or run around and play in, she felt like she couldn't, and she always went to bed feeling strange and unfulfilled, but she wasn't sure how to put words to the feeling, and she always felt better when she woke up, so she never said anything to Karma about it. 

 

The next day she yawned and stretched and sat up slowly; her head kind of swam a bit, like it did if she'd hit it, so she sat still and waited for it to pass before getting up. She saw Riven's letter on the desk and gasped, making to dash over to it - she'd forgotten to write back! - and - 

And tripped? 

She didn't know. All she knew was that she was suddenly on the ground and the room was spinning, and she felt cold and strangely empty. The feeling passed after a bit, and she was able to carefully pull herself up, but her arms shook and she felt very weak. So to make sure she didn't fall again, she moved more slowly as she got ready for the day, and she read Riven's letter again but she had to read it slowly and take breaks, focusing her eyes on it kind of hurt her head and made the room spin again. She couldn't... really feel quite as happy about it for some reason, but she thought maybe she'd feel better if she had something to eat and woke up more, and she was still excited to write back. So she decided to go to her lessons early. 

"You're very distracted today," Olivia told her, after a little while; Ahri looked up, and realized she had broken eye contact which was wrong, and she saw that the instructor was looking very worried, which - she wasn't really the punishing type, but even so she normally looked scolding when Ahri had messed up, and that wasn't... "You're very pale, too," she breathed, leaning in a little. "Are you sure you're feeling well?"

"I think so," Ahri said, but she wasn't sure anymore, she hadn't realized that she looked pale; she fanned out her tails to steady herself and smiled. "But thank you for your concern."

"Ahri, you shouldn't brush this off," her teacher said firmly. "Are you cold? Light-headed?" Ahri had been those things earlier, but she wasn't now, and she didn't want anyone to worry about her, so she shook her head. "Are you sure? I think you should cancel your combat lesson today. I don't want you to hurt yourself."

No!! She refused to cancel her combat lesson, she loved to fight and moving around so much always made her feel better, more alive and aware and happy and ambitious, so she clenched her fists and focused her mind and fanned out her tails for balance, and she sat up straighter and looked directly into Olivia's eyes, and she smiled and said, "No, I'm alright. But thank you very much for your concern. Let's continue." 

Olivia stared at her, no less concerned, but Ahri dared her to speak up, and at length she sat back and continued, and Ahri smirked a little, because she had won, and it felt good. 

She didn't have history that day, so after etiquette and lunch, she went out to the garden to exercise, and she saw that no one else was there, Karma was not home, so she decided that she could run around a bit, and she moved a bit delicately at first because she _was_ feeling a _little_ unwell, but she should at least warm up; but then she pranced in circles around the tiny trees and scampered across the rails of the bridges over ponds, and she found a tall tree and very smoothly and carefully climbed it, and then jumped down and landed lightly on her feet and spun a little, she didn't feel dizzy or sick at all anymore, she loved to move so much! 

So she dashed over towards where Saarya would be, and sure enough there she was and she grinned, she was so excited to fight today, she was always excited to fight. "You're fired up today," her instructor said, but her voice sounded quiet and cold, rather than excited, but that was just kind of how she was, Ahri thought, so she just nodded and gestured. 

"I'll definitely disarm you today," Ahri purred. "I can feel it." 

"Arrogance doesn't suit you." Saarya handed her the practice naginata, and Ahri pranced back out of range while the instructor picked up her own; Ahri's blood boiled and her skin crawled, she was so ready for this, she was so ready to win, it almost didn't even really matter what she was fighting for anymore! Saarya called out to start but Ahri was lunging as soon as she saw her mouth open - she dashed in for a vicious early strike, running past Saarya as it was parried and twirling on one heel, flourishing and turning her spear around to point it the other way, she knew a counterattack was coming and she easily deflected it and then smashed the handle into Saarya's arms, who cried out, surprised, staggering back. Ahri laughed as she dashed in again, this time making a swipe, it was harder to dodge and her opponent was off guard, but the older woman was very agile and ducked under it, countering with a precise thrust, but Ahri was far faster still and easily vaulted over it, and this time whirled her whole body, spinning the naginata around in the air and slamming it into Saarya's neck, and she cried out again and fell back - and Ahri lunged and pinned her, throwing her own weapon aside and grinning into her face, hands on Saarya's shoulders. 

"Hah," Ahri panted, staring into her eyes, exalted. "Hahaha. I told you!" 

"That was - " Saarya was panting, too, and there was a strange light in her eyes, and they followed Ahri's exactly, she looked younger and brighter for some reason, and she - rippled - and Ahri liked how that felt - "Y-You've become very fast all of a sudden."

"I have always been very fast," Ahri leered, wiggling her hips back and forth. "What is my prize, for winning?" 

"Your prize - ngh." She squirmed and tried to get her arms out from under Ahri's but Ahri refused and pushed down harder and laughed. "I suppose it could be - anything you wanted, at this point," Saarya said, lidding her eyes, and Ahri laughed again and leaned in and - 

Oh it was glorious. Oh it was so glorious. Her tails curled and she moaned to herself, just - feeling it, just feeling it so close to her. It had been so long since she'd felt the ecstasy of her growing humanity, of her heartbeat slowing and her thoughts clearing, the greatest serenity she had ever felt, but even more than that. She was so hungry, she wondered if just one would be enou-

_WHAT ARE YOU DOING_

She screamed in horror and flailed backwards, gasping for breath, and Saarya let out a strange choked sound - but then was up on her knees in a flash, her naginata had never left her hands and now it was leveled at Ahri, and she was snarling. "What did you do!?"

"I'm sorry!" Ahri cried. "Oh, gods, I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me!" She had only kissed her, but then, she had done a lot more than kiss her, oh god was she hurt, was she okay, did she - did she take any of it? Could she even take a part and not the whole thing? Her heart raced, she scrambled backwards further, afraid, she wanted to hide, but she couldn't hide, she had to apologize, she had - she had to be bigger than this, she had made a mistake, and - 

"Gods above, you _are_ a monster," Saarya whispered, settling back and planting her spear into the ground, bracing against it, and Ahri whimpered to herself but could not protest, because she was right. 

"I'm so sorry," Ahri whimpered. "L-Let's - let's not do this today. I haven't felt well. Maybe tomorrow." 

Saarya stared at her for a bit, searching her face, and after a moment she knelt down and offered Ahri a hand, and Ahri carefully accepted it and pulled herself up; she was hyper aware of Saarya's soul now, and it lunged at Ahri's touch, rippling and surging, and Ahri let go as soon as she was standing, shaking her hand as if burned, looking away from Saarya guiltily. "I'm sorry about what I said," the instructor mumbled, after a moment. "I didn't mean that."

Ahri looked up at her again slowly. "It's alright," she murmured. "I understand. I'm still... trying to grow."

"So I see." She nodded stiffly. "If you aren't feeling well, there's no point in training today. Rest up, and be ready for twice the workout tomorrow. Hear me?"

"Yes, miss," Ahri replied firmly, a little more confidently; she was glad to be forgiven, even though she was still rather scared about what had actually happened. She and Saarya bowed to each other, and Saarya took back her practice weapons and took her leave, and Ahri was left by herself again.

 

But, she thought as she wandered the home waiting for dinner, at least now she... she felt better? She felt a little more like herself, not dizzy, and her thoughts would order themselves correctly, and she could focus her attention on something without feeling faint. But... she didn't like to think about what that meant, for the reason she was feeling ill, and... what the solution would be. 

Either way, she needed to compose herself and get ready for dinner. She rehearsed in her mind many ways to bring up the problem to Karma, because... well, part of her wanted more than anything to forget it had happened, and pretend that it was fine, but she wanted to take responsibility and be an impressive, organized human. She just couldn't come up with a way to say it without it sounding... well, either stupid or horrible, but either way she had made a mistake, and she thought maybe there wouldn't be a way to avoid that.

It came time for dinner, when Karma would expect her in the dining hall and the cooks would bring out food a little while after. So she went out carefully into the hall, her eyes on the floor, still thinking, rehearsing, hoping that Karma would not be angry, that Karma would understand, but hope was kind of dim for that, she knew she would just sound like a troublemaker. But someone stepped in front of her and she flinched, and she saw Karma had emerged from another doorway, looking exhausted, in Ahri's path. "Ahri," she sighed, running her fingers through her bangs. "I can't do dinner tonight. Something's come up." 

Ahri blinked, concerned, she looked very tired, and she didn't want to make things worse, but she didn't want to put it off either. "Karma," she began, "There's something I must discuss with you, if you could spare a moment."

Karma blinked, looking up dully. "Yes, Ahri?"

"Today I - " she gulped, and looked away, again aware of how bad this sounded, but still, wasn't it best to just say these sorts of things up front? It was at least more... proper. "Today I was not feeling well," she continued, "and I... may have... attacked Saarya."

"Attacked her," Karma said slowly. "Do you mean you attempted to - molest her, or...?"

"W-Well, sort of," Ahri gasped, backing away and rubbing the back of her neck, "but more, I just mean, um, I - I may have tried to drain her, without thinking about it, and - "

"You _what?!_ "

She flinched, she knew this was coming, and she looked back at Karma to try to defend herself, smiling weakly - but Karma didn't look angry, she looked shocked, she looked scared. "That wasn't your intent, was it?" Karma pressed. "You said without thinking?" 

Ahri nodded, feeling a little cold, hugging her chest. "I just got so excited when I was fighting her, and I disarmed her and... I don't know what I was thinking. I stopped myself, but I... I feel much better now, and..." 

"Is Saarya hurt?" 

"No!" She shook her head hastily. "No, she's fine! I apologized and she said it was alright and just to rest and we'll make it up tomorrow..."

"Alright." Karma seemed to calm down a little. "I'm glad you are feeling better, too. But..." She shook her head, rubbing one temple. "Ahri, I... did not want to have to tell you this, and I hoped that perhaps I would be wrong." 

Ahri gulped, she kind of knew what came next, it had already occurred to her. "Do you think I was... starving?" she said quietly. 

"We shouldn't jump to any conclusions," Karma sighed. "But something like that is possible." 

There was a moment of quiet between them. Ahri watched the floor, trying not to be too upset, but there was no silver lining; not only did it mean that she was a monster and not a human, a thing that preyed on humans for survival, it... it also meant that... well, she'd have to prey on humans, for survival. It meant that if she tried to survive without hurting anyone, she might hurt Riven eventually, or someone else that was close to her, and if she wanted to keep those people safe, it meant... sacrificing the lives of others. She hugged herself more tightly, her eyes stinging. "I'm not a demon," Ahri whimpered. "Am I?"

"Ahri," Karma sighed, reaching out and pulling Ahri forward - wrapping her arms around her. "You poor girl." 

Ahri sniffled loudly, hugging Karma tightly, hiding in her shoulder. "I just want to be a normal human like you," she choked. "Why do I have to be like this...?"

"Each of us are given challenges to overcome," Karma murmured. "For such a beautiful mind and soul, the challenges are equally immense. Please understand, whatever your needs are, I only want to help you." Ahri nodded, with another sniffle. "Would you oppose seeking a healer to examine you? We can be sure of the cause, and if it's as bad as we fear, we can seek alternative solutions." 

"A healer," Ahri repeated, pulling back a little; Karma watched her intently, with concern. "I... I don't want to frighten anyone, and have them think I am a monster..."

"You aren't a monster," Karma said firmly. "You are a human with a potentially very dangerous condition. We must understand it as best we can, and we must treat it. Or else others may get hurt." She took a deep breath.

She was right, Ahri decided, and even though she was frightened by the prospect, she knew she had to take responsibility for herself, and to protect others from... whatever her fox-self dared to do, and if she wanted to truly be human, sooner or later she would have to confront this and change it, so she nodded. Karma pulled her in close again, kissing her forehead, and hugging her again. "Thank you," the older woman sighed with relief. "I'm glad that you trust me, Ahri. Will you be alright here tonight?"

"Yeah," Ahri mumbled.

"I'll be gone until the morning." She gently stroked Ahri's hair, and rubbed behind her ears. "Get plenty of rest, dear, and don't hesitate to call off your lessons if you need to recover." 

"Alright," Ahri murmured. Karma pulled away, smiling hopefully, and Ahri smiled weakly back. She felt... a little better. Not being completely human was okay, as long as she belonged somewhere, and even if she felt nervous about living on her own in human society, and fixing whatever thing in her wasn't human, Karma and Olivia and Saarya had all made her feel like she belonged, and she still could hold on to that, if all else failed.

"Yes, that's right," Karma agreed, backing away finally. "I've got to go. Tell Riven hello for me."

Ahri gasped as she walked away. Of course! Her letter to Riven! How could she forget?!


	5. Chapter 5

_Dear Riven,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. I was delighted to receive your letter, although I think it took a bit longer to arrive than you anticipated; as of the time I am writing this, I have already spent a week at the Placidium._

_I am so happy to hear that you have found friends for the road! Please do tell them hello from me, if you dare. Maybe someday I will be able to meet them all! I very much look forward to that. Please keep everyone safe, especially yourself, so that I may introduce myself someday._

_I'm sorry to hear that you are not sleeping well. I have worried about it quite a bit, I hope it has not been too troublesome. I'm afraid I actually was feeling rather unwell this morning too, but it has mostly subsided now. Karma is arranging for a doctor to see me so that we can be sure it won't come back._

_In the meantime, I am indeed enjoying the Placidium. It is beautiful here, moreso than any place in Ionia I've ever been! Not just because of the greenery, but the artful construction, and the human presence... pardon my fascination, but the number of people here and the way the building is meant to bring out their creativity and serenity is simply incredible. It would bring me great joy to be able to bring you here some day. While I am staying here, Karma is having me take lessons; I am learning to fight with a weapon, and lean right now towards the naginata. Do you have naginata in Noxus? I think they are very artful and stylish weapons, and I enjoy using it quite a bit, but then, I am mostly just enjoying my training! I would like to spar with you when we meet again, so please be prepared! I am also learning to calm myself and meditate, so that I may conduct myself more peacefully in person, so maybe I will develop hobbies other than climbing trees and running around like a lunatic by the time we reunite. Fingers crossed!_

_I'm also learning about Ionian history, and I'm really enjoying it! I hadn't ever really thought about the way humans of the past could influence humans of the present and future, but now I see that that's very important and common. Ionian culture is shaped by ancient philosophers, and contemporary Ionian politics and the political structure are informed by lessons learned from ancient dynasties and those that overthrew them. But these events took place centuries ago! And I have been reflecting more deeply on the stories you told me about your carved figures, and realized that they are very much the same; old war heroes shape the culture of the next generations. I would like to ask you to tell me more about them whenever you can! I understand if maybe it is a lot of work to write, so I hope you don't mind if we discuss Noxian history at great length in the winter, or whenever we next see each other._

_I am very tired now, and not convinced I have fully recovered from earlier today, so I am going to end this letter and rest. Please travel safely! I look forward to your response._

_Love, Ahri._

_P.S. How does my writing sound? I have never written a letter before, but my etiquette teacher kindly gave me a lot of advice! I'm afraid this feels a bit impersonal compared to yours, but maybe that is just me._

_P.P.S. DO NOT LET ZOE KILL YOU!!!_

 

"What's so funny?" 

Riven flinched and quickly scrunched the letter between her hands, hiding it, though she winced as she realized how much damage she may have done to it in the process. "A private letter," she snapped back, glaring at Vaughn, who grinned back all too eagerly; she felt her face growing hot, and swivelled her hips on the cart to kick at him. But he pranced back easily, laughing. "Back off! My eyes only!"

"What's the prognosis here, Rhea," he called, looking over his shoulder; Rhea was watching them, holding her sword and shield - but casually. She was smiling warmly at Riven, though her lips took on their impish curl at the question, and Riven flushed only harder. It was much more difficult to shake off teasing from Rhea, a fact that the older woman seemed to revel in - her more nurturing demeanor made Riven feel guilty being... obnoxious at her. 

"Dear me, could that be a love letter?" Rhea breathed. Riven could practically hear the attention turning to her.

"It's a _private_ letter!" Riven insisted loudly. " _Private!!_ " 

"You were grinning ear to ear the whole time you read it," Vaughn pointed out. The hair on Riven's neck began to stand on end, though she wasn't immediately sure why, and brushed it off. "And I swear I've never heard you laugh like that."

"Yes," Rhea agreed, "a very gentle laugh, for someone as tough as - "

Riven felt pressure on her hand - someone was beside her - and she closed her fingers just in time, before Zoe made off with the pages. She whirled around on hands and knees. "STEP OFF," she roared, and Zoe danced back, drawing her swords and holding them defensively in front of her; her eyes glittered, taking the place of laughter. "Why do _you_ care?!"

"Loved ones can be used against you," Zoe intoned, though her lips betrayed the faintest smile. "I'll have to find him. Is he strong?"

"It's not a boyfriend!" Riven protested, sitting up and folding her arms. "Just someone from the Institute, alright?"

"Oh! That changes everything." Vaughn folded his arms, regarding Riven with a smug understanding. " _Someone_. But not a boy? Just _someone_?"

"Yes, _someone_ ," Riven snapped, "I'm not aware of letters simply writing themselves. Someone wrote it. Someone!"

"I don't know, Riven, I think this mystery is solving itself," Rhea crooned playfully. "Is she cute?"

"Wha - " Riven's neck grew hot now, and she was sure she was beet red, with the way her cheeks were burning. How did she know?! "I didn't say anything about - Shut up!" She folded her arms grumpily, and Rhea just laughed. She couldn't stay too angry; hers was a pleasant laugh, like a chime of many small bells, not mocking or haughty like Leblanc's or Darius', or even the hints of smugness that were often present in Ahri's laugh.

"I will discover your secrets," Zoe hissed, behind her - Riven whirled around and swatted, but Zoe was still out of the way, her tiny smile now just barely visible. "You can't hide from me," she purred.

Riven turned her eyes forward; hers was the second of their three open-topped cars - their current job, escorting a supply caravan across the northern frontier, was taking a little while longer than they had expected it to. Keith was still driving the first one along, pretending not to be listening. She raised her voice: "Keith, are you just going to let them humiliate me back here, or what?" 

He glanced back, looking vaguely panicked - Riven couldn't help but smirk. "Uh, I mean, it's probably not a boyfriend or anything, guys, come on," he stammered, looking over at Vaughn, who was watching him with an even more smug expression than Riven's. "What?! Don't look at me like that!"

"Oh, we're well past boyfriends, buddy," Vaughn snorted. "Get with the program." 

"Desperate tactics," Zoe observed mildly, "making Keith defend you." Riven looked over at her with a hiss.

"Don't make me beat the shit out of you to shut you up again," she snarled. Zoe still had her knives out, and twirled them with a flourish, once again holding them before her.

"Fight me atop that cart," Zoe challenged, nodding behind Riven. "If you fall off first, you have to read the letter out loud." 

"Hoo boy," Vaughn laughed, "that'd be a sight to see. Alright, go on, Riven, are you going to turn her down?"

"If you turn her down, doesn't that amount to a loss?" Rhea chided, having now moved closer. Riven couldn't bring herself to look even vaguely mean at her, and that meant she just had to be flustered; Zoe wasn't about to make her read Ahri's letter, come hell or high water, but she was sure if she didn't fight for her right to privacy Zoe would continue to test her patience, until she either fought back or Zoe was able to steal it. 

"Fine!" she roared, standing up and tossing her coat dramatically onto the cargo beside her, drawing her shattered runesword. "But this time, you'll face me with _my_ weapon!"

"You still insist on using that piece of junk?" Vaughn snorted. Riven couldn't really argue. It was once a beautiful blade, but they didn't have any way of knowing that. 

"I'm sure it has a lot of history," Keith assured him, but weakly, because he was kind of a weakling around Riven. She ignored him; it wasn't particularly endearing. Zoe, however, grinned and leapt up to the opposite side of the cart, eager no matter the stipulations. Riven watched her stance carefully; so far, they had only fought using one of their companions' swords, and she wondered if Zoe knew how to handle an opponent with such a heavy weapon - and if that knowledge would cause her to make a mistake. Sure enough, she braced her feet and bent her knees; she intended to use her agility to her advantage. Riven couldn't help but find herself drawn to the girl's grin; combined with her dark, smoldering eyes and her curtain-like hair, it was a rather decidedly creepy visage, but one that Zoe clearly expressed with glee and intent. In a way, it was kind of cute. She missed people who loved fighting as much as Zoe did. 

"If I didn't know better," Zoe purred, "I'd think you were handicapping yourself." Riven hopped lightly back and forth on her feet, smirking back easily. 

"You don't know me as well as you think," she retorted. 

 

Zoe, as ever, made the first move - one of her weaknesses. She was impatient, too eager to demonstrate her technique, rather than to actually take the steps she needed to _win_. Riven sidestepped her initial lunge, then spun around and rocked forward again, lashing out with her blade in a wide arc. Zoe tried to catch the attack with her blades, but even just the hilt of the weapon was deceptively heavy, and she didn't have the arm strength to deflect it with so little warning. Riven, however, underestimaed the force her blow and stumbled forward as Zoe danced back. They both paused to recover.

Then Zoe lunged again. This time Riven dashed forward to meet her, her ki surrounding her; Zoe's attack glanced off of the aura, and Riven shoulder-tackled her backwards, but the assassin was not so easily outdone. She took the change in momentum in stride and slid back, then crouched and swung her leg wide in a low sweep. Riven saw the attack coming but couldn't jump in time; she fell backwards, and Zoe dove in to grapple her. Riven kicked upward at her, shoving her knee into Zoe's side, and Zoe grunted and was knocked aside - allowing Riven to slide the other way and stand. When she returned to her feet Zoe was lunging in again, but Riven had predicted that and swiped upward with her sword, very nearly catching Zoe's chin - her heart lurched as she realized just how close it was - Zoe had to disengage immediately, and they both hesitated as the cart ran over a rock in the road, maintaining their balance. But Riven watched her keenly, aware that the wait would not last long.

Zoe dashed in, this time zagging to one side, trying to find an opening in Riven's defense, but the thing was - Riven didn't need to defend; even with her dulled reflexes, she could still esaily predicted what Zoe's moves would be, and because of that she could outplay them, moving faster to counter her: she simply lunged forward in the opening Zoe's feint created, allowing her an opportunity to slash along Zoe's side... an opportunity she didn't take. She rued her own mercy; if she was willing to strike Zoe, the younger girl might realize that Riven was being aggressive, rather than defensive, and she might learn something about patterns and pacing her aggression. But instead, Zoe seemed perplexed as ever, surely believing Riven to simply have superior reflexes and speed, even though Riven knew she most definitely did not.

 _I have to knock her off eventually,_ Riven lamented. 

Zoe this time opted to close the gap without making for a sudden strike - something that Riven had not predicted exactly, but what followed was fairly easy to follow: dual strikes from her knives, one designed to force Riven's attention away from the other. But because Riven had seen these before, she knew the pattern; block the first, dodge the second. Block the first, dodge the second. She moved to the side, rather than backwards, strafing around Zoe, hopping upward onto the pile of crates and using her vertical space to force Zoe to attack her in still more predictable directions. Zoe's frustration became palpable; she started to slam her blades into the crates as they missed, and she hissed at Riven as they danced about. Another weakness of hers; though she was a strange but calm girl by outward appearances, she became very emotional in combat, and when she was angry, she slowed down, allowing Riven to keep up more easily.

Finally, Zoe spun her blades around in her hands and lunged for a snakebite attack - but Riven snatched both her weapons in the crook of her broken weapon and swept them aside. The daggers were torn from Zoe's hands, and as she stumbled back, Riven grabbed her by the collar and whirled around, hurling her off of the cart all together. She caught herself and skidded into a roll, ending up on one knee - but the battle was over, either way. Riven replaced her weapon in its makeshift sheath, and jumped down, intending to help Zoe up. Of course, the other girl quickly stood again regardless, and without meeting Riven's eyes stormed off to grab her swords again. 

"Alright, I won't help, then," she muttered, a bit stung. But, Zoe was clearly very prideful - so was Riven, at her age - and she didn't hold that against her. Zoe would learn, in time. She wasn't the sort to let her mistakes get her killed. And even though Riven was a bit rusty, she was certainly an abnormally threatening opponent.

 

Riven had earned a day's rest, according to Vaughn, and after fighting off two wyverns the day before as they negotiated the southern Ironspikes, she wasn't really about to turn it down. They were only a day or so away from their destination, and from there, a few days from the capital city. Among the rolling hills of northern Noxus, she doubted there would be anything dangerous enough in the wild to attack their caravan - leaving only the threat of marauders or bandits, and they didn't need the entire team on watch for them. Even so, she was hesitant to just laze around not doing anything. So she approached Keith at the front, walking along side his front cart. 

"Hey," Keith said, smiling down at her. "Nice weather for this time of year."

Riven sniffed at the air. She couldn't smell much; it was still cold enough, especially without the protection of an environmental barrier, that her nose and cheeks were mostly numb. "I wouldn't know," she admitted. "I spent most of my life before the war in the capital."

"Ah. Is it as beautiful as I hear?" He looked forward again, but was now grinning, though it looked a little unwieldy on him, and he sounded a bit too eager. "I've never been, myself, but I'm looking forward to it. Heard all kinds of stories, you know?" 

Riven narrowed her eyes at him as he spoke. "You've never been," she repeated slowly. "Not even for your draft?"

Keith tensed up. "Well, I mean, no! I lived out in the boonies..."

"It's very rare for young men or women to answer their draft without spending _some_ time in the capital," Riven continued, searching his face, as he glanced back down at her nervously. 

"Yeah!" He laughed anxiously. "I mean, I don't know what was up with it, you know? It was..."

"You're about my age, right?" 

"Uh, well, how old are you?" He coughed suddenly and drew himself up. "I mean, that's rude," he scoffed, "I'm twenty six."

"So, yes, about my age," Riven agreed quietly. "Which means the Ionian invasion would have happened during your mandatory draft. Were you deployed?" 

"Yeah, I - "

"Where? How long?" 

"Oh, nothing exciting, just - just keeping watch over the southern territories, you know - "

"You would have been there for the first day, at your age. Unless you were so weak that they delayed your deployment." 

"No! What kind of wimp do you think I am?!"

"I don't think you're from Noxus," Riven said darkly. 

"W-What?!" He jumped, laughing again, a bit high and fast. "No! That's absurd. I'm - I'm Noxian same as you!"

"Same as me," Riven agreed dully, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, okay." 

"Yeah!" He sat up straighter and looked ahead again, but she watched his eyes closely. He glanced down at her, nervously, but only for a moment - then... again, only for a moment. "What? Stop looking at me like that." 

For a moment, Riven considered pushing him. She didn't like the idea that one of the mercenaries was hiding something. But at the same time... she had been in his position before, Noxians asking about her service, about what the war was like, and she couldn't help but sympathize with the desire to just pretend nothing had happened. And besides, if his biggest secret was 'not from Noxus'...

She sighed and shrugged, turning around again. "Yeah, forget I said anything." She waved back idly. "I'll stay on watch."

 

So, Riven returned the second cart, 'on watch', now peacefully carving away at her nearly-completed Sion figure. She held it aloft, in the sickly midwinter sunlight, and admired it. It had come out quite well so far, and she was excited to show it to Ahri, and to talk more about his legacy. According to legend, he was a hulking man, seven foot tall at the least, and bore an axe almost as tall as he was, hewn from an ironbark trunk and a slab of runic metal. She sighed, almost dreamily, thinking about it. Sometimes on optimistic days, she liked to daydream about meeting the heroes of Noxus' past. What would Sion think of her, of her rise to glory? What would he think of contemporary Noxus? But at the same time, those daydreams darkened her spirits, because she doubted there would be anything positive for him to say. She was a deserter, after all. 

_I'm trying,_ she sighed, to the figure, willing it to say something encouraging. _I just want to fight for what I believe in, the same as you did._

But it was silent. Sion was dead, his fight long since finished. He had taught his lesson already. 

As she lowered the figure again, someone sat next to her, but by the swiftness of the motion and how little the cart moved, there was no mystery as to who. She turned to face Zoe, who folded her arms and looked away, as if pretending she wasn't here for any particular reason. "Good fight earlier," Riven commented, conversationally. 

"Yeah," Zoe agreed quietly. She was not one for many words. But Riven knew she had something to say, so she looked away, and allowed her the time and room to speak. "You're very strong." 

"I have a lot of experience," Riven said, shrugging. She began to whittle away at the figure again, carving out the details of his axe. "You're better than me."

"If I were, I would have won." Her voice turned sour. 

"It's not always that simple," Riven murmured, looking over at her. "You're not really trying to kill me, right?" 

Zoe didn't look at her, and was silent. 

"Neither was I. But that means I don't know your full potential. I think if we were really fighting, you'd beat me. So I'm gonna avoid fighting you if I can." 

"I'm not so sure," Zoe mumbled. "I will avoid you too."

Riven sighed, but smiled after a moment, returning to her figure. "I really appreciate the practice, though." 

Zoe nodded enthusiastically. "You're a good partner." 

"I think you are too." She saw Zoe smiling in her periphery. 

"Glad you two are getting along," Vaughn called, from Riven's other side. "We're about five miles out of Velstahlt," he added more loudly. "Should be smooth sailing until then. We'll make it by sunset, hole up in a tavern and call it a night."

"Then on to the capital," Keith called enthusiastically from the front. Riven saw Zoe curling up a bit, and glanced over at her - but quickly looked away again. She doubted Zoe wanted to talk about it now, or probably ever. For all of Riven's own personal accomplishments, it wasn't like her memories of growing up in the capital were terribly fond, either. 

"What kind of work will we be looking for once we get there?" Riven asked, trying to change the subject. "You said more - domestic work?"

"Can't say much," Vaughn harrumphed, drawing himself up, "but I've got a couple of leads on jobs that'll pay much better. We've just gotta get there at the right time, and we're right on schedule."

"He has an informant from the capital," Zoe said, under her breath. "There is work coming up from High Command that is not public knowledge."

Riven blinked and looked over at her. "How do you - " But it didn't take much imagination to guess, as Zoe stared into her eyes, half expectant, half resigned. Vaughn hadn't heard - he had gone to answer some question one of the others had asked - and Riven could tell by Zoe's gaze that that was deliberate. "Why tell me?" she asked, lowly. 

"You don't want to go, either," Zoe murmured. "We should look out for each other." 

Riven stared at her blankly for a moment, but narrowed her eyes, and nodded. "Yes."

 

Vaughn spoke eagerly of the night ahead of them at the tavern, but that only increased Riven's sense of dread as they searched for it; it turned out her fear was for naught. He and Keith made a formidable pair of drinking buddies, but neither of girls seemed terribly interested. Zoe went out for a walk, and Rhea sat with Riven shortly after she left. 

"That girl will be the death of me," she groaned. "She's strong, but that doesn't make it safe to walk around alone at night." 

"That said, woe be on anyone who disturbs her," Riven muttered, shaking her head. Rhea sighed, looking towards the boys, who were evidently making friends with a few guardsmen across the room. 

"Do you think I'm strange, for a Noxian?" Rhea asked after a moment. Riven turned her attention to Rhea, raising an eyebrow, who was watching her with expectant curiosity. 

"I don't think there's such a thing," Riven said, shrugging. "We are defined by our willingness to fight for what we believe in, right? As long as you've got something worth fighting for, that's... well, that's what being Noxian is about."

"Heh." Rhea's face grew dark. It was a bizarre sight on her, and Riven recoiled from it, but at the same time it - fit her. It felt old. It felt... weathered. "That's very patriotic of you," she continued, chronic fatigue in her voice. "But that's not really what you think, is it?" 

"It's the vision of Noxus I believe in," Riven said firmly. "It's the vision of Noxus I would fight for."

Rhea searched her eyes for a few moments; Riven again recoiled, her skin crawling. It felt like her soul was being examined directly, and she didn't want anyone looking that closely at her, not even Ahri. Especially not Ahri. "When you say it like that," Rhea murmured, "I suppose I agree. That's why you left, then?"

"I - left?" She knew what Rhea was talking about; she was mostly just surprised it was brought up, after it had been kept quiet for so long. "Well, no, it's more complicated than that," Riven muttered. "But it's why I didn't go back." 

Rhea nodded thoughtfully, propping her chin up with one hand. Her gaze had grown distant. "Yes, that's fair," she sighed. "Pardon an old lady and her questions, Riven. You're the first one like me I've met."

"The first one...?" 

"And so young. But so... hurt. It's such a shame, what Noxus has done to hundreds of beautiful boys and girls like you. You deserved better. We all did."

Riven's eyes grew wide. "You're a veteran," she whispered. "You were there?"

Rhea nodded slowly. "I served under General Kelreich, seventh infantry," she said softly. "We fought along the northern front. If you can call any of that... fighting."

 

There was a long pause. Riven... didn't know what to do, or say. She had never discussed the war with... anyone. She had never wanted to. And in her heart, part of her still didn't want to, but that part was overpowered swiftly by the part that was so elated to finally, truly, not be alone anymore. 

"Gods," she breathed, grinning, aware that she was tearing up. "I'm - I'm so sorry, that you had to witness that."

"I'm a grizled old soldier compared to you," Rhea laughed. "I've had my time. You're the one I'm most sorry for. But I admit, it's a relief to see that the next generation of Noxus won't all be..." she struggled, visibly, for words, looking away and drumming the table fiercely. "Well, you know what I mean, I think," she muttered after a moment, sighing in defeat. 

"I just hope Noxus never commits such an atrocity again," Riven hissed, hanging her head. "How can - how can anyone take pride in this nation, after what happened there?"

"Oh, honey," Rhea breathed. "You haven't been back, have you?" Riven held her breath, and bit her lip. "No one _knows_. All the commanders and officers that came back reported exalted victory, and that the Institute stepped in and saved Ionia from disgrace. Ionian veterans are heroes." 

"Heroes," Riven gasped. "For - for what we -?!"

She had to stifle herself quickly, but she was burning up at just the thought. She remembered her conversation, her many conversations, with Darius and other Noxians: _When will you come back? We all want you, you know. And there's nothing else for you._ That conversation took on a whole other dimension, if they truly didn't understand. Riven was a hero. For perpetuating genocide, then surviving the slaughter of hundreds, Ionian and Noxian alike... she was a hero. It made her want to vomit. It made her want to destroy everything in the room. The only reassurance was Rhea's exhausted, solemn glare. 

"I've always been a gentle person, relatively," Rhea murmured. "I thought I'd avoid the military, until... well, that whole nightmare with my family happened. You know about that already."

"So you joined to get away from that," Riven murmured. Rhea nodded. 

"I joined to be an instructor." She smiled wistfully. "I always thought that was my calling. I wasn't a master, myself; I wasn't going to be the mentor to some prodigal student that would bring about the change in the world. I was just going to prepare as many young Noxians as I could for combat. So they could go off and die gloriously, if they wanted, or they could protect the homeland and their families, if they preferred that. I wanted to... empower Noxus. I thought that was my lot in life." 

Riven nodded again, listening intently. She remembered her own instructors - strict and bitter old folk, who taught reluctantly, backhandedly. Unwilling to give up their knowledge, only allowing it to be taken from them by those strong enough to force it out. Riven wished she had learned from someone like Rhea... even if only at first. But even as she regarded that idea warmly, she knew where this story was going - she knew how it ended, because she had lived it. This wasn't a hopeful story. It didn't have a happy ending. 

"Then, of course, the deployments began," Rhea sighed, looking away and shaking her head. "I was placed into a unit under an aspiring greenhorn. He clearly resented me for not challenging him. But, as you can imagine, I really didn't give a shit." The vulgarity drew a short laugh out of Riven, but it was cold and sterile. Even so, Rhea smiled at her sidelong, with appreciation. "He caught on to my merciful nature quickly, and started issuing me increasingly gruesome orders. Execute the prisoners became his favorite." Her smile faded, and the light in her eyes faded as well, leaving them bleak. "He made me sit in on interrogations - which I don't think served any purpose but to get to me - before execution. Then, he started ordering me to torture them, as some kind of scare tactic. But I - well..."

Though Rhea spoke with a factual cadence, her voice even and unbreaking, her eyes betrayed her. Riven was speaking to a dead woman. Nothing shone there, no fire, no life. Just emptiness. It was a feeling that should have scared Riven, but instead, she felt comforted by it. It was familiar to her. Only now as she paused did Riven finally sense a flicker of humanity in her, but it was stifled with years of practice, and expertly concealed behind the mask of indifference. Riven was only allowed the briefest glance at it. And even for just that, she felt immensely honored.

"I disobeyed him," Rhea sighed at last, raising her eyebrows. "I risked subordination to berate him, and to tell him he was a demon, and that my vision of Noxus had no place for him."

"You gave him what he wanted," Riven murmured. "But he didn't kill you?"

"Oh, no," Rhea laughed emptily. "No, he didn't care about that anymore. He just smiled at me, and ordered the man next to me to do it instead, and so I watched him do it. He wanted me to believe I was the only one that cared."

 

All at once, Rhea looked up at her, smiling, and there was the faintest glimmer of light in her gaze; Riven felt as though she could breathe again after hours of nothing, and her whole body relaxed. "But blessedly, my stay was very short after that," she finished, her voice nearly its old cheerful self again. "A Noxus so uninterested in life is not one I care to be a part of, so I've worked independently ever since. It's nice, to be out in the frontier most of the time. Life makes more sense out there. Parents protect children, siblings protect siblings, and there's a sense of pride and community that almost reminds me of home."

There was a moment of quiet. Riven had a response in her mind, but it didn't feel right to say. 

"But," Rhea sighed, shaking her head and looking away again, "that community and its pride will never belong to me again. And, I suspect you feel the same way."

"Yes, very much," Riven sighed, relieved that Rhea had said it instead. "I..." She faltered, and Rhea raised one hand and placed it gently on Riven's, stopping her. 

"Riven, I'm deeply thankful you listened to me," she said softly. "But I don't mean to force anything out of you. Don't tell me, if you don't want to talk about it."

Riven took a deep breath. "I do." 

"All right." She straightened up in her seat, and smiled attentively, if sadly. "Well, then --"

The room shook and their table clattered all at once; they both yelped in fright, and to Riven's shock, they both drew blades. But it was just Vaughn, who hiccuped and laughed loudly, backing away and waving his arms defensively. 

"Sorry layees," he cried, "I didn't mean to inperrupp! I just wanted to say - it's ghreat that you two're - are talking. You know? It's really great. I was reeeeeeally worried about you, Riven!" 

Riven glared at him dully, replacing her blade again. "You are very drunk."

"I awhaygh get drunk after a job," he replied coolly, waggling his eyebrows at her, before pointing dramatically. "You look like you need a drink!"

"I don't think Riven wants a drink," Rhea laughed. "You've had enough drinks for the five of us."

"Awh, Rhea." He turned his attention to Rhea, which is to say, he flopped from leaning on one part of the table to the other. Riven caught Rhea stifling a smile. "Lizzen. This isn't _my_ fault. Keith - _hic_ \- Keith bought the hard stuff. You should see _HIM_!"

Rhea's eyes widened, and she pushed herself up, looking over his shoulder. "Oh, gods," she groaned. "Vaughn, why did you let him - " she shook her head, and sat down briskly again, turning her attention to Riven. "I need to get these two to their rooms," she muttered, angrily. "I'm so sorry to postpone this."

"No, it's alright." Riven smiled, as warmly and kindly as she could manage, trying to imitate her new best friend. "Rhea, thank you so much for talking to me tonight. You've... I don't think I can really thank you enough."

Rhea sighed, returning her smile. "I'm glad. I'm happy to have met you, Riven."

"See!" Vaughn lurched back and gestured at the both of them. "Bessfrenns! I knew it!" 

"Okay, you drunkard," Rhea laughed, standing up and attaching herself to his shoulder. "It's time for you to go to sleep. We're going to get Keith." She glanced down at Riven. "Are you going to stay here?"

"No," Riven said, slowly pushing herself up. "I think I'm going to go find Zoe. The more I think about it, the more I agree with your concern."

"I appreciate that a great deal, Riven." She inclined her head. "I think I won't see you until morning, so rest well."

"You too." She smiled as she watched the two of them clumsily make their way back towards the bar, where Keith seemed to have already passed out. But she didn't linger long. Safety was only a secondary concern. Now was the best time to confront the other girl about something a little more immediate. 

 

It took a bit of work to find her; Zoe was more agile than Riven, especially out of combat. She spotted the girl atop a rooftop, but refused to lower herself to asking her to climb down. So she wandered around for ten minutes looking for a suitable place to climb _up_ ; to her relief when she finally made it up there, Zoe had not moved. In fact, she was glancing over her shoulder watching for Riven; clutched in her fist, fluttering in the late night winds, was Riven's letter. 

She knew Zoe had it. She must have stolen it during, or after, the fight; Riven had only noticed well afterward, but had decided it wasn't worth making a show of hiding it. And now, she was sure Zoe was ready to give it back. 

She sat down beside Zoe, each of them dangling their legs over the roof. Zoe handed it to her immediately, and Riven took it and folded it into her wraps. "Thanks," she said softly. "I knew I'd find it here."

"Take better care of your things," Zoe said shortly. 

"I'll do that," she agreed.

There was a moment of quiet. Zoe was watching the horizon, Riven noticed, and her eyes were glassy, as though she were seeing something Riven could not. But Riven knew what lay in that direction: the capital city. 

"So," Zoe began, awkwardly. "A girlfriend, then?"

Riven huffed. She'd kind of hoped to keep it secret. But oh well. "Yeah." 

"She sounds nice. Really smart." Pause. "She a noble?" 

"Yeah." WAS Ahri nobility at this point? 

"I bet she's pretty."

"She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life."

"Wow." 

"Yeah." 

Silence. Zoe was kicking her legs idly. Riven wondered how old she was. She felt as old as Ahri, somehow, but looked decidedly younger. Younger even than Riven when she'd gone to war. 

"She's Ionian?"

"Yeah."

"Meet her during the war?"

"No. Thank the gods, no." Riven laughed nervously. "After."

"Oh, alright. Yeah, that does seem better." Zoe coughed awkwardly. 

Silence again. Something occurred to Riven, something that struck her as both sad and funny. She furrowed her brow, and looked over at Zoe, who bashfully looked away; in the overcast night she couldn't see her face clearly, but she could guess what she might have found on her cheeks in daylight.

"Zoe, are you gay?"

"Yeah," Zoe mumbled. 

Riven had to work very hard to stifle that laugh, but she did, and she was damn proud of it. "You'll find someone someday. Someone even more beautiful than Ahri." 

"Yeah." Zoe cleared her throat and looked up at the horizon again. This time, her gaze didn't seem so distant. "Yeah, I know."

"Good." She kind of wanted to apologize. But she also felt that that would be... too mean. She wondered if this was just how everyone talked with Zoe: awkward, stilted, in short bursts. It made her want to laugh again. She liked Zoe. 

"This doesn't change anything between us," Zoe added darkly. "I'm going to beat you."

"I look forward to it," Riven cooed, pushing herself up. "But before that, we're going to get to the capital, and we've got to watch each others' backs. So, truce?"

Zoe nodded, standing up as well, and turning to walk towards the backside of the roof, where Riven had climbed up. Riven followed her, and they walked silently for a minute or so, most of the way back to the tavern. The night was dead silent, and almost pitch dark, were it not for the faint starlight above and the spotlights of the night watch's torches scattered in the distance.

"Riven," Zoe said quietly. 

"Mhm?" 

"We have to watch out for Rhea, too." 

"Yeah," Riven agreed, without hesitation. "We'll keep everyone safe, alright?"

"Yes." Zoe smiled, and looked up at Riven. "You're a good person. I hope you stay with us." 

Riven smiled shyly, not sure what to say to that. But Zoe didn't seem to need a response. She just sighed with what sounded like relief, and folded her arms, and they returned to their lodgings without another word.


	6. Chapter 6

_Dear Ahri,_

_I really hope you're feeling better! I'm sorry about the delay, but I wanted to write to you from here, instead of on the road. Last night, we just reached the Noxian capital city!_

_I don't know how to describe it to you. In places, it's beautiful, and I want to walk with you in the Ivory Ward, or to show you the memorials beneath High Command. But in other places, it's torturously cruel. The class divide is visible here; those with power live in luxury, and those without claw at the walls. I don't think I want to spend long here. But I'm afraid that we're a bit early. Vaughn thought he had work lined up for us right away, but there's apparently been some kind of a delay. Before you get concerned, Zoe is probably not going to kill me while we wait. We're both too busy keeping Keith out of trouble._

_Speaking of trouble - have you heard about the scandal that happened here a few weeks ago? Apparently, a Demacian spy and a high-ranking Noxian noble infiltrated the Black Rose, but were caught, and claimed asylum at the Institute. It's been all over the news on the mainland, but I don't know how much you hear about it in Ionia. I wouldn't bring it up normally, but you mentioned wanting to talk about history, and I'd kinda like to save that for when we're together again - but that got me thinking more about current events._

_As far as I can tell, this scandal is getting worse, not going away. Remember the riot I told you about last time? They were demanding the Noxian get released, so that she could face punishment at home, but the Institute doesn't want to let her go because they want to finish their investigation first. All I hear about around here is how the Institute is getting in our way, that they're opposing us. I don't know how that sounds to you, but to be honest, Ahri, I'm really nervous. It feels like something is going to happen. Vaughn's so tight-lipped about whatever our next job is supposed to be that I can't help but wonder if we're going to wind up involved. But I'm probably just being paranoid._

_Hey, make sure to tell me what your doctor says! I'm glad you told me what's going on, but now I'm gonna worry about you... I need to know my favorite human is okay!_

_Take care of yourself, alright?_

_Love,_

_Riven_

 

Ahri stared at the last line and read it again and again and again.

_Take care of yourself, alright? I need to know my favorite human is okay!_

And again, and again, and again. 

Even though Karma's home was well-insulated, Ahri's hearing was very good, and she could dimly hear Karma's voice and the voices of two others, Irelia and the stranger that had come to study Ahri, named Soraka, the bluish-purple-skinned lady with hooves and a horn, and she snorted remembering that when Soraka had first walked in, she had thought how nice that such an alien looking creature had a place in Ionian society, even a very well respected one, she thought that was very inspiring, and well, now, here she was, and that was just very funny and sad now, rather than being any kind of inspiring or comforting, because at least Soraka was plainly not a monster. 

Ahri was a monster. 

Limply, she lifted the letter again, and tried to read it in Riven's deep, gentle voice, the soothing one she used when Ahri worked herself up about something, the one that Ahri desperately wanted to hear just then, but would not hear for a very long time. Instead though, all she could remember was the night atop the cliff face, now nearly two months ago - had it really been that long? - when Riven had wanted to... to give herself away to Ahri, and Ahri refused her, but how tempted she had been, how... hungry, she had been, and... her eyes were stinging again, even though she had cried already, she curled up on herself more and wrapped her tails around her legs and closed her eyes, willing it to go away, but her chest was so tight and she was so...

She had to tell Karma...

Soraka had seen her alone, because she'd said that they might wind up talking about some very private things, and Ahri didn't know if she was glad for that or not, on one hand if Karma had been in the room she would just know, and Ahri wouldn't have to go tell her, but if she had been in the room... what would she have done, what would she have said? Or would she have even said anything, would she have just watched and listened, in horror, as Soraka quietly described what was wrong, how Ahri was some kind of... horrific demon, or something, and...

Ahri... you can't be like this... this body is all you have, now, and without it... 

_I don't want it,_ she wanted to scream. _Take it back! I don't want to be like this!_

She heard knocking on the door and flinched and gasped loudly. "Ahri?" It was Karma's voice, and she sounded... sad, and Ahri wondered if Soraka had told her, she kind of hoped not, but also she hoped so, she didn't want to have to say it but she wanted to be the one that had to, but... "I'm coming in, okay?" Ahri nodded, even though that was stupid, Karma couldn't see that. 

So, Karma came in, and delicately shut the door behind her. She saw Ahri on the bed, hiding from her gaze, and she sighed heavily, and slowly approached her; Ahri didn't move, neither closer nor away, and Karma just sat on the edge of it and reached back, gently placing one of her hands on Ahri's shoulder. "Ahri," she whispered. Her voice was soft and kind and sad. _She knows,_ Ahri whimpered. She teared up and lowered her head, and sniffled loudly trying to just breathe straight. 

"I'm a monster," Ahri choked. 

"Soraka told me to come check on you," Karma breathed. "Tell me what happened."

So she didn't know? She had to know, she had to have guessed... either way, Ahri sniffled again, and swallowed, trying to clear the ache out of her throat, so that she could speak. "She cast some spells," she murmured, barely able to raise her voice above a breath. "She said that she was trying to see what my soul looked like, and to figure out... how it reacted to things." She sniffled again. "And... she saw it, and she told me that it... that my body isn't... real. It's..."

_Ahri, you are an artificial creature. Your body was destroyed by rampant magic, and that magic reformed you according to the shape of your soul._

Karma's hand tightened on her shoulder as she explained. It was hard to explain, but it made sense to Ahri, it kind of explained everything about her actually, she just had to remember the words Soraka had used, in her mournful voice, as she had explained it first to Ahri...

_The magic that holds you together must be sustained, restored. The power that created you is beyond mortal understanding... to create such a perfect, pure creature as you, is a feat no human magic could ever accomplish, and likely most inhuman magic would fall short as well. To keep your enchantment alive, equally great power is required, and there are few other sources of power so pure and so dense as a living soul._

_The price of your new form is terrible, Ahri. I am sorry._

"So it's as we feared, then," Karma murmured; Ahri said nothing, just keeping herself composed, trying to stay quiet, while she listened to Karma sigh, imagining the elder thinking, processing, but after a moment Karma shifted her weight more fully onto the bed, and soon was sitting beside Ahri and had hooked one arm over her shoulders, and Ahri leaned sideways into her, and hid in her shoulder instead. She was intensely aware of Karma's soul, more than she had ever been aware of anyone's except maybe Riven's; it was tranquil and serene, and... blue, she had never really associated colors with souls before but this one leapt out at her, it was the blue of a clear summer sky, or perhaps of a peaceful mountain lake. She could take it from Karma, most likely, without much trouble; she could just look into her eyes and remember something happy - if that even worked now, but perhaps she was too hurt to recall it properly - and then she would just kiss it right out. Karma was prey. Ahri was a monster. 

"When first I heard rumors of the demon of the western provinces," Karma murmured, "I went expecting a demon. I didn't expect you to be so beautiful and so helpless." 

Ahri bit her lip and didn't say anything.

"But when I met you," she continued, turning her head lightly towards Ahri, "that was what you were. You were a homeless girl, misunderstood and malnourished, scared to death with no one to turn to. I couldn't leave you like that."

"Maybe you should have," Ahri murmured. "Maybe you should have killed me before I hurt anyone else." 

"Ahri..." Karma sighed, and was silent for a moment, and Ahri recognized that she had said something stupid and wrong, and she needed to stop thinking like that, she didn't want to die... not really. But she was afraid of living, if it meant that she might attack people on accident the way she had attacked Saarya, or that... she might have to attack people for real, the way she had... she shivered and whimpered and tried not to think about it, and she felt Karma gently threading fingers through her hair, rubbing behind her ears... 

"Something important about life that I learned a very long time ago," Karma began again, even more softly still, "is that no one is purely good or purely evil." She shifted again, and Ahri allowed herself to uncurl a little, in favor of laying her head in Karma's lap, and Karma continued to pet her, watching her, while Ahri closed her eyes and listened. "There are glimmers of good intent in even the cruellest actions," she continued. "And there are hints of necessary evil in even the most virtuous hearts." 

Ahri felt like this wasn't right for her, and she wanted to protest, but she couldn't come up with anything to say that didn't sound childish or stupid, and she wondered if she just always sounded childish and stupid, so she stayed quiet.

"Long ago I learned that lesson, and in you, I saw proof of it. I saw proof that cruelty does not come without purpose. I saw a chance to prove that someone like you could still be good."

Cruelty does not come without purpose. Ahri wanted to snarl. What a joke. What about the cruelty in giving Ahri a terrible body that she had to murder people to sustain? What was the purpose to that?

"And in helping you, and watching you grow," Karma continued, "I felt more certain in that truth than ever. I only wish I had trusted in it, and in you, sooner. You've become such... a sweet, wonderful young woman, Ahri, and a part of me wants see you as my daughter."

Ahri did not know what to say to that. She felt hollow and cold, but also very deeply touched. She wanted to believe she was worthy to be called that. It was enough to halt the darkness in her heart, and it was enough to force tears into her eyes again. 

"You've even brought light into the life of a Noxian," Karma chuckled. "And in the process, you've made me think that maybe they're not so bad after all. You're a source of many marvels."

"I hope you get to meet Riven some day," Ahri mumbled. "I really hope that you get along."

"I'm sure that we will," Karma replied, with gentle certainty. "If nothing else, we have in common our love for you."

That sounded like a stupid thing that Ahri didn't believe, but at the same time it made her smile very big, and she imagined Karma and Riven deciding what sort of presents or clothes to get Ahri, and having fun talking about what Ahri liked and how best to surprise her, and it made her happy, and she felt the shroud fading a little. 

"Karma," she whispered; she heard Karma wordlessly acknowledge her and she shifted, not getting up, but feeling ever so slightly more empowered. "What should I do?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I really don't, Ahri. Fate has laid a treacherous path before you, and I cannot tell you whether - or how - to walk it. Only you can decide that. I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I will do my best to support you." 

"Even if I start consuming souls again to sustain myself?"

"I would appreciate it if you were selective about your prey, at least," Karma said stiffly, but Ahri recognized that this was supposed to be a joke, and even though it was a very cruel thing to joke about in a way, it struck Ahri as funny somehow, because of course Ahri would be selective, and she loved - she loved the way that Karma said it so matter of factly, without dancing around anything, just saying _hey please be careful who you eat_ , Ahri started to laugh, _hey I would really appreciate it if you didn't eat the other elders, that would be really helpful, okay thank you_ , she laughed and rolled onto her back and spread her arms, and even though nothing had changed or gotten better, she felt relieved when she opened her eyes.

Karma was looking down into her face, smiling; a shadow still hung over her face, because she was nervous, but Ahri was glad that she was nervous, because it helped her feel not alone, and she was glad that she was still smiling in spite of it. If nothing else, she had Karma's support, but she knew she had someone else's support, too, as she realized she still had something in her hand, and lifted it up; Riven's letter was a bit crumpled now, but still legible. _Now I'm gonna worry about you... I need to know my favorite human is okay._ She thought about what Riven would say, if Riven even would care, but she knew what they would both agree on... that Ahri would not accept an ultimatum, that she would not surrender control of her fate, she smiled as she remembered the things she had said, because she still felt them just as intensely now. _Humans forge on, humans bend the world to their will._ Ahri would bend the world to her will... no. With Riven's help, she would bend it to _their_ will, she would make a world where they could be happy and safe and in control. 

"Will you be joining us for dinner tonight?" Karma asked gently. "Our guests are both worried about you, but I'll understand if you need the evening to yourself." 

Ahri blinked herself back to awareness, and smiled up at Karma. "I'd like to join you," she sighed, closing her eyes. "Just give me a moment to compose myself."

"Of course, dear." She felt Karma shift her weight again, and the softness of Karma's lips on her forehead. The older woman hesitated, as Ahri's smile grew a little, but then she stood and crossed the room. "We'll be ready for you shortly." 

 

Ahri changed into a new kimono, even though her other one was still perfectly fine, she just felt wrong in it, she wanted to change, and she wore a new jacket along with it even though she was just going to be inside, she let down her hair and brushed it into its normal wavy self, instead of doing it up nice, because even though she understood that the braids were supposed to be very formal and pretty, she just didn't really like how they looked, they didn't really suit her, and she admitted that the hair-down look didn't look great with the kimono, so after a while of staring at herself in the mirror, she decided she was just going to put on her old robes again.

But she felt so wonderful once she did! They were freeing and expressive and familiar, and she felt like she could prance around all she liked without damaging anything, she felt teasing and playful, swaying and beautiful, and after a bit of deliberation, she decided to put her kimono jacket over the robes, and she thought it looked very nice and was pleased she'd had the idea. She picked up Riven's letter and read it again, slowly, imagining Riven was beside her talking as she was getting ready; it was a relaxing mental image, and she sighed and stood straight and flared her tails and perked up her ears, and admired herself.

_Riven says I'm playful and thoughtful,_ she thought. _Karma says I'm sweet and wonderful. Wukong says I'm nice to everyone and always learning._

Those were all good things, and she was happy that other people thought of her so kindly. She remembered the times she thought that maybe being only sort of human, a weird not-quite human, was good enough, and she grinned at the idea that maybe the rest of her could be cool, scary demon, like the frightening spirits in Ionian history, but also like the legendary fighters in Noxian history. Maybe that would not be so bad.

Then, she darted out into the hall.

 

Karma and Irelia and Soraka were all sitting at the dining table already, it was normal for there to be some time chatting before dinner, but this time Ahri had taken up enough time that dinner had already been brought out, and Ahri saw there was a place setting for her beside Karma, so she swept over to it as eyes around the room turned to her, and she bowed halfway. "I'm sorry to worry everyone," Ahri said calmly as she stood straighter, and she saw Karma watching her with relief and even what kind of looked like pride, so she beamed back. Irelia and Soraka seemed less convinced though, Soraka especially had seen how badly the news had affected Ahri and was watching her with muted concern, where Irelia just kept a straight face, and Ahri supposed it was understandable that Irelia was not really in a good mood today, given the things they had to talk about, so she decided not to worry about her, and sat down at her place setting.

It was such a strange coincidence that today, when Ahri received Riven's letter talking about the political situation in Noxus, Irelia had come to talk to Karma something important, and Ahri was fairly sure it was related to that, but whatever it was, it didn't look like it was going to be an easy conversation; in fact, Irelia turned to Karma as Ahri settled in, her eyes narrowing, and she said: "Are you sure she should be here for this?" the guard captain said quietly, as if speaking too loudly might upset somebody. "This isn't a visit for pleasantries."

"Ahri has displayed a keen interest in international politics and world affairs," Karma replied coolly, as Ahri sat up straighter in defiance. "This is a part of her education." 

Irelia set her jaw for a moment, and Ahri wondered why she was so annoyed, but either way she let it go, sitting up as well and shaking her head, pulling out a number of folders and setting them in a stack in front of her; Ahri saw that they had sketches of women on their covers, but Ahri didn't recognize any of them. "As you know," Irelia began, nodding to Karma, "the Elders of the Placidium are calling an emergency summit. Ahri, do you know what that means?"

Ahri nodded slowly, though she had not heard anything about this recently, it was very much a surprise to her, she only knew because it had been discussed in her history lessons. "It means the ruling elders will convene indefinitely until a decision on an important matter was made. Sometimes... for weeks." 

"That's right." Irelia turned her attention back to Karma. "You've known about this for a few days now. Have you thought about what you're going to say?" 

Ahri looked between them, her tails knotting behind her skittishly. "What - what is the summit about? Is it about what happened in Noxus?" 

"How much do you already know?" Karma asked lowly. 

"I know that there was some kind of break-in," Ahri recited, though her voice was dropping in volume, because now everyone was watching her, and the room was growing very tense very quickly, was this always how politics was? "A couple of people were supposed to be arrested, but claimed asylum with the League, and Noxus is really unhappy about it."

"It's a lot more complicated than that," Irelia sighed, but Karma raised one hand to stop her. 

"How do you know about that?" Karma pressed, slowly, her eyes narrowing. "We haven't talked about it at all."

"I..." Ahri started to answer her but then remembered that maybe Riven's work would have something to do with this and - what if she got Riven in trouble?! But before she could panic, she remembered Olivia's lessons in staying calm and composed, her tails waved around a little more freely and she looked Karma straight in the eyes, and gave her an inquisitive shrug. "I just heard about it somewhere," she said idly. "I didn't realize it was secretive." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Soraka watching her keenly, but the healer didn't say anything, she just stared, her golden eyes narrowed, and Ahri ignored her before it made her uncomfortable.

"The way Noxus is painting it," Irelia muttered, flipping open one of her folders, "Katarina Du Couteau is a traitor to Noxus that intended to damage the sovereign Grand General somehow. She hasn't made any statement or anything, so we don't know what her intent actually was. The other girl was a Demacian spy that vanished without leave, and they're both together at the Institute. It's a strange situation and no one knows exactly what's going on; that's why the Institute wants to investigate before making any decisions." 

_All I hear about around here is how the Institute is getting in our way, that they're opposing us._ Ahri winced; without Riven's note for context she wouldn't have seen the problem, but if Noxus was making the Institute out to be an enemy and making demands, it wasn't unlike the fall of the last great dynasties, where villagers banded together because they weren't getting their way, but because they and their complaints were so small, the ruling family ignored them, until it was too late and revolution was upon them, but this time it wasn't a few little villages, it was the empire of Noxus... 

"Noxus has shown considerable hostility towards the Institute," Irelia continued. "General Darius has gone on record suggesting that Noxus take Katarina back by force, last week or so."

"I wrote an opinion piece after that," Karma said quietly. Ahri looked over at her - she looked and sounded tired, drumming her fingers on the table, watching them, rather than anyone else around her, but when Ahri looked over she looked up at Ahri, which startled her until she remembered that she was having everything explained to her, since she didn't know, but it was still unsettling. "We can't take Noxus' threats lying down. They have shown us that they will commit military force over even the smallest transgressions."

"To play devil's advocate," Irelia murmured, "that was a different Grand General. There's no telling how Swain is feeling about any of this."

"Darius is his mouthpiece and his axe arm," Karma countered, turning to Irelia again. "If he disagreed with Darius' actions and words, Darius would no longer be in office, if he lived at all. He is keeping Darius around for a reason." 

"Should we even get involved? Are we in a position to involve ourselves? It's only been a few years." Irelia propped her hand palm-up on the table. "The Ionian people need time to heal."

"I would love more than anything to give them that time," Karma sighed. "But we cannot idly wait for peace to come to us. That is the lesson we learned, and now, we may be forced to put it into practice." 

Ahri looked back and forth between all of them with increasing panic, as she put together what they were trying to say; Soraka just evaded her gaze, her jaw set and her eyes still slitted, but Irelia and Karma realized they were being watched, meeting her with grim faces. "Karma, what are you saying?" she breathed. "You want to go to war... again?"

"I don't want to," Karma corrected firmly. "I do not think we have a choice."

"I don't understand, you want to go to war because Noxus is throwing some kind of tantrum?!" 

"Ahri, when Noxus invaded last time," Irelia interrupted, "we only were able to turn the tide and force them to retreat because we learned how they operated. In particular, a Demacian spy discovered how to decipher their troop movements and battle plans. But in the process, we came to understand their tactics and their mentality, and now ever since, we have learned much about their political culture as well. It might look like a tantrum from the outside, but Karma's right... if someone as high-ranking as Darius is speaking out so boldly without being silenced, it's because someone is planning something in the background, and Darius' warmongering is a part of that plan."

"If we wait," Karma muttered, "they will strike first. And if they do, they will unleash untold devastation on the world, just as they did to us. I believe it is the Ionian people's duty, to those who died protecting us, to prevent that." 

Ahri squinted, confused, nervous, her tails whipping around the chair back as though to hold her up. "Karma," she said slowly, "if we go to war with them, what would that accomplish?"

"An alliance between Ionia and Demacia, and a two-pronged attack, can contain them within their own lands," Irelia said firmly. "We could undo their empire and render Valoran that much safer for it. We would pay once, now, for the safety of future generations." 

"Demacia has proposed it before," Karma continued lowly. "We believed then that it would be overzealous, that it would turn us into the exterminators. But now that we have experienced Noxus' malice first-hand... the world is safer without them." 

Ahri thought of Riven carving the little statue of Sion, and the soft pride that filled the exile's voice as she talked about heroes from her country's past. She thought of the horror in Riven's voice as she tried to describe what had happened in Ionia, and the hopeless expressions of the Noxian soldiers she had seen before she met Karma. 

"That wasn't Noxus," Ahri said firmly. 

 

There was an odd pause; Irelia and Karma both looked at her in confusion and surprise, and Soraka sat up, listening intently.

"Ahri, I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean," Irelia said quietly. 

"Noxian culture is about glory and strength," Ahri explained, fanning her tails, holding Riven's faint smile in her mind. "They all strive to be the strongest they can be, and they want to prove themselves against worthy opponents. That wasn't what they got in Ionia - they didn't realize what they were getting into." She furrowed her brow, trying to remember what Riven had said, how to put it into words...

"Why do you speak with authority about Noxians?" Irelia asked lowly, narrowing her eyes as well; Ahri hesitated, tensing up, but:

"Ahri became close friends with a Noxian veteran while at the Institute this Snowdown," Karma said quietly. "You can imagine the subject is of great interest to her." 

"I watched villagers butchered by tired soldiers that didn't want to be there," Ahri added, balling her fists on the table. "I wanted to understand why that happened, and I know it isn't because Noxians wanted it. I don't understand how doing the same thing back to them will help!"

"Ahri," Karma sighed. 

"I understand, we all want peace," Irelia said slowly. "You seem like a gentle girl, Ahri, but you have to understand, when it comes to Noxus - "

Ahri was about to protest, holding herself in against her instinct, glaring at Irelia waiting to her to finish, but to her shock, Soraka of all people spoke first: "Ahri is not a gentle creature." Irelia's eyes boggled as they flicked back to the celestial, who was watching Ahri keenly herself. "Are you?" 

"No," Ahri said quietly. "In fact, you might consider me a predator." 

Irelia didn't seem to know what to say.

"It's not that I want to avoid fighting," Ahri growled. "I just don't understand the point. Noxus itself I can't speak for, but Noxians themselves - many of them won't want to oppose us. Do we have to fight them? Do we have to make them take up weapons to die for something they don't believe in?"

"I'm not the one you need to convince," Irelia muttered, looking over at Karma. "I'm not the elder here."

Ahri gasped, she had almost completely forgotten that - that Karma was the one in charge, that Karma was the one that was going to support going to war - she turned to look at the older woman, who was watching Ahri with tired eyes, but a small, prideful smile, one that made Ahri's cheeks burn a little. 

"I feel privileged to have heard your counsel, Ahri," Karma said softly. "I will meditate on what you have said." She turned, slowly, to face Soraka. "Starchild, have you anything to add?" 

"We have already discussed my feelings," Soraka murmured, shifting uneasily in her seat. "I do not support bloodshed unless there is no alternative." 

"Then the stars, too, have spoken," Karma mused. "Very well. I don't think there is a need to dwell on this topic any longer." 

 

Ahri doubted she would be able to get to sleep, her mind and heart alight from all that had happened, so she paced around the gardens and did drills with her practice naginata, which Saarya had kindly given her as a gift only a few days before, she had decided that it was her favorite weapon and she wanted to learn to fight with one, so that she could spar Riven one day and they might be able to get stronger together, and now as she practiced, making swift and stern movements, twirling the weapon's shaft in her hands before lunging and stabbing forward in rhythmic patterns, she thought more about what she wanted, really, for herself and for Riven.

She didn't know what exactly Riven wanted, but she had a general idea: a Noxus to be proud of, an ideal she felt was worthy of fighting for and believing in, because the one she had grown up with had proven false. And she didn't know exactly what she, herself, wanted either, because she had wanted to be human, but now she realized that she had no idea what that meant, and now, she either had already accomplished it, or else it was impossible; either way she was left without a goal to pursue, and somehow that didn't feel bad or worrisome, it was just the place Ahri was in, and she supposed maybe that meant she had a goal coming, or else that it was just okay to not have any particular aspiration, to just exist as she was. 

But as she thought about that, her thoughts darkened and her forehead creased, remembering that for Ahri to exist, there was a price to pay: lives, human souls, would eventually need to be taken, she would _have_ to fight, and the idea of actually fighting was not especially threatening; Ahri had gotten by all those years without weapons after all, just seducing and charming and fox-firing her way through her hunger, she would only do better the older she got, as long as she learned new things and continued to practice, she would become very powerful indeed, and then taking souls would not be the difficult part at all, the difficult part would be not feeling horrible about them every time, but somehow that was also less threatening, because she knew it had to happen, it was her or them - she was indeed a predator, and just as in all of nature, other things had to die for her to live, it was just a terrible shame that for her it had to be humans, but that didn't mean she couldn't - how had Karma said it? she snickered - that didn't mean she couldn't 'be selective' about it, and pick people that were suited for the purpose, either because Ahri did not value their lives or for some other reason, and that meant the trouble was only in finding people that Ahri felt were 'appropriate', and doing so often enough that she didn't fall any more ill than she already had. 

She knew she had a lot of time, because being honest with herself, she had... not necessarily abstained in the last few years; over the course of the three years Karma had known her, Ahri had consumed four people, but she remembered each of them very clearly: there was the one time a young man 'convinced' her to play, he had been very insistent and Ahri had still thought it flattering, but she struggled to control herself back then; then there was the girl she'd found dying on the road, she wasn't waking up and Ahri didn't know how long she would last, but she remembered back then she must have been very hungry for it to even occur to her, and that one was nearly a full year after the first, and she tried to think back how long it had been before Saarya, that one was... a little bit before going to Snowdown the full year before, she'd... gotten into a fight with some kind of shadow ninja, who had tried to kill someone she was watching, and he had nearly killed her, and in some sort of desperate half-consciousness she had taken his soul, and found herself fully healed. 

And then aside from that, she had to wonder, how much exactly did she get from Saarya? Did she actually restore herself or just stave off hunger long enough to pretend it wasn't there? Did she really have to take entire souls, or could she leech bit by bit from a willing donor? What kind of side effects would that have? She had many questions, and they needed answers before she could be sure how to proceed.

She sighed, and planted the naginata in the sand beside her, since she was practicing in the sandy area, and she wished she had thought about it more back then, because maybe she would have guessed her nature, but that didn't matter much now. She could hear now that there were approaching footsteps, and she turned and saw Karma stop at the balcony railing from Ahri's room, which looked out into the garden; she was cradling a cup of tea, which she sipped from gently before smiling at Ahri's approach. "You don't have to stop for me," she said calmly. "Judging by your movements, I'd almost think you were happier today."

"I've let go of a meaningless purpose," Ahri said, leaning against the railing, allowing her tails to wave in the evening breeze. "I won't become any more or less human than I already am. It's almost a relief."

"I can imagine it would be," Karma agreed, nodding thoughtfully. "Well, Ahri, I think I've decided what I'm going to do."

"Oh?"

"I'm going to attend the summit and caution against taking action too early." She smiled knowingly, gently swirling her tea, while Ahri smiled back with relief and gratitude. "I will advise that war must be declared with absolute knowledge of our purpose and our options."

Ahri nodded. "Thank you for listening to me," she sighed. "I admit, I am worried about Riven's involvement in the conflict. I don't want her to get hurt any more than any other Ionian."

"And I think Noxus will be grateful for your compassion, someday," Karma replied calmly. "As will Ionia. It may be your words that spare the suffering of thousands." She sighed, and stood straighter, closing her eyes briefly. "And with that in mind, I'd like to ask you to come with me."

Ahri blinked. "Wh- to come with you!?"

"Yes, to the Elders' Chamber." Karma again swirled her tea, a very delicate and precise motion, but Ahri wondered if it was a nervous one, like Ahri's tail movements, though Karma's narrowed focused eyes did not look nervous at all. "If it comes to it, I would like for you to say to them what you said to me."

Ahri felt the blood draining from her face at the very idea; even just imagining standing in front of several dozen very important humans and trying to say the same thing made her feel panicky. "I..." 

"You are a powerful magical creature," Karma continued. "A spiritual icon. We in Ionia deeply respect the counsel of people such as you and Soraka. It would carry a great deal of weight. When I say your words may be those that prevent war, I do not exaggerate."

Ahri took a deep breath, and let it out very slowly, trying but failing to calm herself; her heart pounded at her, and the mental image refused to go away. "I... I just..."

"I will have Olivia come along, as well, so that you may practice with her."

"Oh, thank gods," Ahri laughed, reassured, and Karma chuckled as well. "Yes, okay! I would be happy to help however I can, Karma."

"That's good." Karma sighed with relief. "Together, we will keep Valoran safe as best we can."


	7. Chapter 7

> Dear Riven,
> 
>  
> 
> Unfortunately I bring ill tidings, but before you worry yourself too much about your favorite human, you should know that I am perfectly alright, at least for the time being. 
> 
> Firstly, I should be honest about what happened last time I wrote you. During training, I became too excited and attacked my combat instructor, and made an attempt to drain her without thinking about it. I was able to stop myself, and I suspect that is because of my experience with you, so I thank you for that. But I had been feeling weak and sickly all day up to that point, a feeling which has not entirely gone away. That led to certain other concerns. 
> 
> Concerns which, unfortunately, have now been confirmed. The doctor was able to determine that I must drain others to sustain myself, or else the enchantment that created my body will stop working. I don't know what will happen then, perhaps I will revert, or perhaps I will just come apart or die. I hope not to find out, but it is a much more daunting task than that. 
> 
> I know you would want to know about this. I'm apprehensive, but not afraid. Karma has given me her full support, and I'm sure that I can count on you, too, Riven. Together we will find a way for both of us to be happy. We won't accept an ultimatum! That's not what humans do. Though... I am afraid that I am not properly 'human' anymore anyway, but maybe that's okay. Do you mind that I am not wholly human? 
> 
> Karma and I are making a journey to the capital city. As you observed in your previous letter, relations with Noxus are becoming alarmingly tense, and Ionia has called for an emergency summit, which Karma must attend. She has asked me to join her to speak out against taking any undue aggressive action. So in short, you could say I am fighting to keep you safe! 
> 
> I very much hope that this does not lead to another war. It has occurred to me that we are not on the same side, and I admit, that frightens me very much. Please, please, stay safe. I'll do everything I can from here. 
> 
>  
> 
> With love, Ahri

 

 

Riven paced nervously in her room as she read Ahri's letter - then, once she had finished it, she read it again, swiftly. Even so, it wouldn't stick. The words fell off of her eyes. After the second attempt, she slumped onto the bed and fell backwards, covering her face with her spare hand.

This wasn't her room; it once belonged to one of Rhea's siblings, apparently. When Rhea had gone to war in Ionia, her family had disowned her, but she still bore the Scrowveil family name. When Darius threatened to cull the weak among the Noxian nobility, their brown-nosing and manipulative nature drew suspicion, and in a panic they had fled the country. Only Rhea was still willing to come back to Noxus and claim ownership of their land and title - and even then, only begrudgingly. 

So, now, she offered her manor - dusty and barren, but still in good repair - as their safehouse during their stay in the Noxian capital. It was situated high on the bastion, near the Ivory Ward, and Riven could see the plains beyond the walls, and into the horizon. On one particularly clear day she thought she could see the Institute of War, far to the west. It was another little reminder of when she'd first met Ahri, and had been the highlight of what had otherwise been a dreary and disquieting stay.

Noxus was far from what Riven remembered. The Noxus of her childhood memories praised hard work and ambition. At every corner, she had been surrounded by people with dreams of glory and accomplishment, and she remembered a country that uplifted those people and gave them a chance to succeed. Compared to the might of Noxus, that which had given her everything and sent her off to fulfill her own dreams, the exile had at first felt small and damned, as though anyone that looked at her knew the shame of her failure.

But now that she had returned, she'd slowly come to realize that no one cared. The city's promises of strength and glory were hollow. Power wasn't held by the strong - just the rich, or those with the ability to intimidate others into giving theirs up. And those without power weren't being given the opportunity to earn it by their own strength. It was being held far away from them, in a desperate bid to prevent them from getting it. Just the same as anywhere else. 

On one hand, it sickened her, because she knew - better than she wanted to, she knew what it was like outside the walls, and though she had tried to avert her eyes as they had passed along the main road, she had seen and heard enough to know that it had not changed. Her family had been well-off relative to others living in the slums, but they weren't the privileged sort that got to live in security and luxury; "well-off" meant they had barely scratched out a living, barely earned enough to pay for a steady place to live and a supply of food, and when she was of age to begin her training, her father had suspiciously come across a weapon that Riven had been too excited to ask where it'd come from. She knew she had earned her power and her glory as a captain of the Noxian military by being strong, and she had been so proud of herself - and filled with such pride for her nation, too. What a beautiful place, she once had thought, that I came from such a poor background but have become so strong, and everyone admires that achievement. I worked hard, and my hard work has been rewarded! 

It was sickening to realize that she had been duped. Compared to the "power" held by people like Rhea's family, she had almost nothing. Even if she had survived the war, she would have come home to little more than a fancy title and the same stiff bed at a barracks, most likely. Power was not to be given to her because she was strong enough to have earned it - the Noxian ideal was to _TAKE_ that power. To steal it from others, because they weren't strong enough to keep it away from you. That was how Rhea had taken the title and ownership of her family name. That was how General Darius had risen to power in the first place. And... no doubt, the current Grand General was no exception. She was seeing her home country as it really was for the first time.

But on the other hand, it was kind of a relief, because the standard she had held herself to for so long was... gone. It had never existed. She had failed at a goal no one had ever set for her. Not that that made her feel any more interested in returning to Noxus itself - in a way, it had the opposite effect, because now she knew that what had happened in Ionia was not unique to her. It was just the way the social caste worked. Those in power would use it to gain more power from the unsuspecting. She had turned her back - trusted in someone that was supposed to be her ally - and they had simply destroyed her instead. 

Rhea must have come to the same conclusions about Noxus much earlier in life, and it informed her more gentle, reserved nature, and why she seemed so relatively at peace with her circumstances. It wasn't a bad life, to fight to protect others, and to let them decide what they needed instead of trusting some higher authority that clearly couldn't be trusted. Riven wondered about just... staying with her new friends. They treated her well enough, after all. Maybe they would get along with Ahri. 

...Ahri. 

She lifted the letter again, glaring at it, willing it to stay in her mind this time.

_I had been feeling weak and sickly... I became too excited and attacked my combat instructor, and made an attempt to drain her without thinking about it. I must drain others to sustain myself, or else the enchantment that created my body will stop working._

_I am afraid that I am not properly 'human' anymore..._

Riven's eyes stung reading that. Ahri wanted to be human! That was the ONLY thing she wanted, the single goal her innocent, sweet little mind had set itself to: be human. It was so hard to get a read on Ahri's emotions through writing - her first letter had come across as excited, sort of, through the somewhat overly-flowery language. But this one was... Was she stressed? Anxious? Determined? 

_Do you mind that I am not wholly human?_

Well... no. Ahri had adorable fox ears and gorgeous, fluffy fox tails. Riven loved them. They marked Ahri as exotic and unique, and even though she was sure they'd make fun of it at first, the idea of showing Ahri off to her new friends gave her a little thrill. Look at my gorgeous, magical girlfriend. Heh. Bet you wish you were this cool? 

But wasn't she supposed to feel... guilty about that? After all, Ahri wanted to be human. Why was Ahri even asking her in the first place? 

_I'm sure that I can count on you, too, Riven. Together we will find a way for both of us to be happy. We won't accept an ultimatum!_

She smiled a little. _Even an ocean away, your optimism makes me smile, Ahri._

There came a knock at her door; Riven started, and sat up swiftly as Zoe poked her head in. "I've come for you," Zoe intoned with an intense look in her eye, but she couldn't withhold her own little smirk. Riven rolled her eyes; she knew full well that Zoe was here to fetch her for dinner. "Letter," she observed sharply, eyes flicking to it. "From your girlfriend?"

"Maybe," Riven hissed, recoiling and hiding the letter behind her hands. "Maybe not!" 

But Zoe's smile grew knowing. "Rhea will learn everything about her from you tonight," she taunted. "Or you can stay here and tell me."

"I'll take my chances, thanks," Riven grunted, folding the letter into her pack and standing up. "Not that I would mind hanging out with you for a change," she added, more lowly still, "but..."

She trailed off, and Zoe shrugged, though the girl looked down at Riven's feet, hiding her eyes under her freshly-trimmed bangs. "I understand," she murmured. 

"I'm looking forward to the trip," Riven said hopefully. She had to restrain an impulse to put a hand on her shoulder or head; Rhea did that kind of thing from time to time, and Zoe always half-snarled at her. "I liked sparring with you on the road." 

"So did I." She looked up very slightly - eyes still hidden, but a faint smile allowed to show. "Be careful." 

"Yeah, you too," Riven agreed. "Don't do anything stupid." 

"We'll see." 

 

That morning, an ecstatic Vaughn had gathered everyone in Rhea's foyer to announce that they had been picked up for a job. The details were rather sensitive, but Vaughn eagerly explained that he had taken his time to ensure that it wouldn't be 'morally objectionable': it didn't involve Katarina or Lux, or anyone tied to them, and was explicitly anti-war. "Someone is playing political games with someone else," he had explained cryptically, "and this job is part of that game. It's still kind of shady, but at least it's shady in a mostly harmless way, right?" 

But he couldn't divulge any more than that until the evening. Still, it was work, and Vaughn was an individual that enjoyed celebration - so to celebrate the new job, he wanted to get drunk. 

"And you're getting drunk with us!" he had shouted at Riven, grinning stupidly, and Riven had found it rather hard to maintain her level stare back. What an idiot. 

"No, I'm not," Riven had said firmly. "I wouldn't be any fun."

"Oh, come on, don't be like that," he had protested. "At least come sip something with us. You're part of the family now!" 

Riven had been unable to turn that down. 

But it wasn't until later that she'd learned that Zoe was already exempt. No details were given, so it was left to Riven's imagination to wonder whether it was because Zoe didn't take well to alcohol (or taverns), or whether one of the elders had decided it was simply ill-advised to take her there. Either way, Zoe had been acting vaguely disappointed all day, and it was almost enough to lead Riven to ask if there was some way they could celebrate with her. 

They arrived at the Hall of Victory a little before sunset; though the Ivory Ward was the highest-class part of the capital, the nature of a pub doesn't really change no matter where you put it, so none of them were terribly surprised by the noise or atmosphere of the place. The only obvious difference was that most everyone was 'ceremonial' dress - either dresses and suits, or decorative armor, the latter outweighing the former considerably. 

Then, to Riven's pleasant surprise, they gathered their drinks, they sat together, food was brought out, and they just... talked. Chatted, casually, as friends would. They endeavored to include her, but eager not to be outdone, Riven involved herself just as naturally. They talked about things they had seen on their travels, and what they'd do with their share of the pay when it came time. They talked about their favorite foods and drink. Rhea led a pleasant side conversation about the beauty of Ionia, and they listened enraptured as Riven described her journey through the Freljord the summer before. Riven found herself so comfortable with them that she hazarded a bit to drink... and then, laughing louder and grinning more stupidly, a little bit more to drink after that.

"So." Vaughn set down his flagon with a great clatter, grinning wickedly at Riven, who stared back nonplussed. "What ever came of that love letter of yours?"

Riven hoped the alcohol masked how badly her cheeks burned at the question. "You mean my private letter?" 

"Oh, come off it, Riven," Vaughn snorted, "no one's buying it." She looked to Rhea, who was watching her with mirthful expectation, and Keith, who raised his eyebrows.

"What, you want me to defend you again?" Keith snapped; he handled his liquor quite a bit better than Riven had expected, and that made her wonder just what he and Vaughn had been drinking on the road before. "Can't fight your own battles?" 

"Listen, you," Riven growled back, "you have this stupid crush on me, right? So that means you're supposed to get all defensive --" 

"Oh, come _ON_ ," he groaned, as the elders laughed. "You want to know who has a crush on you? Zoe. That's who's got a crush on you."

"Yeah, I - I know." Riven withdrew a bit. The constant noise around them had turned into a droning that ached her ears and drummed at her temples. She rubbed them a bit, unhappily. 

"So...?" Keith leaned in, smirking a bit smugly. "How're you gonna let her down? Or are you fancying your chances with two girls at once?"

"Ah, now you're on to something," Vaughn agreed enthusiastically, grinning at Riven, who rolled her eyes back. "I bet Zoe would love that, the quirky little thing she is."

"Cut it out," Rhea chided playfully. "Riven is free to brush us off about her love life if she likes, and we're free to make fun of her for it, but I feel bringing Zoe into this when she's not here to defend herself is quite out of line."

"Zoe's idea of defending herself is with knives," Vaughn observed. 

"No thank you!" Keith cried. 

"I could learn from her example," Riven replied false-sweetly, drumming her fingers on the table slowly. 

"Now, now, what would your little sweetheart think of that?" Vaughn sang. 

"Stop that!" Riven barked, swatting his shoulder. "Stop - "

 

She had started to shift her body to harass him more thoroughly - but someone was walking behind her when she did, and they nearly knocked her out of her seat. She stood up swiftly, whirling to face the culprit: a thoroughly inebriated guardsman, who clapped her on the shoulder as he righted himself, grinning stupidly into her face; Riven blinked as the wave of alcohol-breath washed past her. "Ehyyy," he cried, joyously, spreading his arms and stumbling back a bit. "You ex-CITED?!" 

"Er, yes." Riven flashed him an uncertain smile. "I'll be sitting down now." 

"Nawh, we gotta stand!" He lunged in and grabbed Riven's wrists as she tried to sit - essentially pulling her up again. "'Cuz we're gonnagho ta WAR today!" 

Riven's heart stopped. "What?" 

"The Jhenral's coming!" He looked like he might start bouncing around with excitement. "Ann'he bought me abunsha great beer!"

"Um - " Riven stepped back, forgetting that there was a table there, and stumbled. "That's - great." The room pitched wildly all of a sudden, and she felt sick and disoriented - and all at once she was standing again, the guard now having grabbed her collar, pulling her close. 

"We're gonna go to _war_ ," he hissed. "You scared?" 

And then, just as suddenly, she had been separated. Vaughn stepped imposingly between them. "Hey, what's the matter?" he snarled. "You got a problem with my friend here?" 

Riven blinked, reaching out blindly behind her - she found Rhea's shoulder, and steadied herself on it, quickly taking stock of the room again. There were many men and women standing up, and the chatter was building into a roar, though only a few were paying attention to them. But the guardsman himself had friends, who were now crowding around. "What's with you schlubs?" another guard snorted, this one clearly much less intoxicated, and clearly higher rank. "General Darius is coming to address the loyal. Are you patriots or not?" 

Behind Riven, Rhea stood slowly, and Keith was pushing himself upright as well. She shifted again, rubbing one temple, trying to stay behind Vaughn. "I don't give a shit about that," Vaughn snapped, "your guard is harassing my friend, so you apologize to her or answer to me. Got it?" 

"I'm not about to bow down to some coward that's scared of a little bloodshed," the captain sneered. "Hear that, coward?" He nodded over Vaughn's shoulder, and Riven glared back at him. "What're a bunch of yuppies like you doing in here anyway? Here to celebrate your triumph over this one's soiled sheets?" 

Riven's blood chilled; her fingers clenched and flexed instinctively, but she grit her teeth and stayed silent, wanting nothing to do with any of this. But to her horror, Rhea stepped forward swiftly, folding her arms - now they were both defending her! "I've expended just about all of my patience not killing you for that remark," Rhea snarled, her eyes flashing.

"Oh ho ho, your patience," the captain cooed. "Oh no!"

"If you're looking to put your blood on my blade," Rhea continued in a shockingly nasty voice, "I'm happy to oblige you, but otherwise - "

But his hand was already on his weapon! "I think you're a little confused about whose blade is going where," he hissed, his grin dripping with malice. But, from around her companions' silhouettes, Riven saw a gloved hand press on the captain's shoulder - he stopped in a fright and turned, and backed away hastily, still smirking at them. The hand's owner stepped into view, his footfalls shaking the floor beneath them. Riven took in a hissing breath of apprehension; Vaughn and Rhea paled. 

"Lady Scrowveil," Darius sneered. "Good evening."

"They were talking to me," Riven said swiftly, stepping forward, and pushing both of them back with her hands. _Stay out of this. He's after me._

"Well, now," Darius added, his eyebrows raising. "This is quite a surprise."

"General, we were interrupted by these hooligans of yours," Rhea said, tersely. "You'll excuse my short temper, as they saw fit to insult my friend." 

"You're friends with her?" Darius didn't acknowledge Rhea, eyes still firmly on Riven's, and Riven realized that she was the one being asked; she nodded. 

"Coworkers," she replied stiffly. 

"How cute. You found your vaunted 'other path'." He snorted, though it sounded more like a badly-restrained laugh. "Riven, why don't we go on a little walk together?" 

"What?" Riven blinked, bewildered. "Wha- why?" 

"No particular reason," he lied. "We once were comrades. I'd like to catch up." 

Riven turned to look back at the others - Rhea and Vaughn were staring up at Darius in mixed indignation and horror, and Keith was pretty much one hundred percent horror. A dull ache pounded at her head as she tried to come up with a reason to stay. "Don't you have a speech you're giving or something?" she offered hopefully. "Wouldn't mean to -"

"The drunks of the Hall of Victory can wait," Darius said simply. His patience was clearly waning. 

"Just go," Rhea said quietly. "We'll meet you back at the manor." 

So, Riven gulped, and nodded, following him out. 

 

They walked in a very brief silence - he led her further up the bastion, to a great courtyard and garden, that Riven recognized: the Conqueror's Wake. It was virtually an outdoor theater. Behind it loomed the grand entrance to High Command; flanking its threatening visage were great silver-skinned ironwood trees, and opposing that, steps leading down to a wide dias. Riven had come here shortly after her enlistment to listen to High Command declare war on Ionia. Now, well after dark, it was barren and silent, with a dry icy breeze gently trailing through, and only faint starlight illuminated bits and pieces of the fortress' profile. Every other part of Noxus felt far away. 

"So you've decided not to re-enlist," Darius observed, facing away from Riven - staring at High Command.

"I told you," Riven muttered, her arms tightly folded. "I don't want to come back, Darius. It's that simple."

"So you have said," he sighed, shaking his head. "That's not what I am asking. I'm asking _why_?" He turned to face her, eyes narrow and gleaming in the darkness. "It's been almost five years. Darkwill is dead. Noxus has grown, and we'll continue to grow."

Riven looked away. Even in the darkness, she somehow still felt the shadow of High Command on her, as though she were right beside it, its turrets and walls looming over her. Riven remembered, when she was small, one of her drill instructors had taken her unit for a run beneath its outer battlements. He'd called the gate the final barrier to strength - that the final goal of every Noxian was to pass through it. Riven had been inside, just once - during a ceremony recognizing her skill, shortly after her enlistment. The interior was beautiful, if a bit macabre, and she remembered dreamily promising herself to return. This was the closest she may ever get. 

"Growing into what?" Riven asked. "Are we stronger or weaker than before?"

Darius sighed heavily, and sat down at one of the stone seats of the theater; she sat as well, across the walkway from him, arms still folded. There was a moment of quiet, aside from Darius grumbling, considering his words. Riven watched him apprehensively; at length, he shook his head again and looked up, rather suddenly.

"You and I were very much alike," Darius began, his voice forcibly even. "Of poor birth, but patriotic. Strong, _very_ strong. We clawed our way to glory - me, in Demacia, and you, here at home, even before you were drafted. They sent us both to Ionia. I came home. You didn't." 

"You were lucky," Riven replied easily, shrugging. "I wasn't." Somehow, the intense truth and clarity of this statement brought her peace. Someone would have done the same to Darius, if he were weak enough to have allowed such an opening. What a horribly tense way to live. And yet, here he was... "No, that's wrong," she conceded. "You were stronger than me."

"No, Riven, that doesn't make sense," he objected, plainly growing frustrated. "You and I were of nearly equal strength. I can't claim to have been any stronger than you, I know that much. And more than that - you didn't _die._ That's just what you want everyone to believe. Why? I don't get that, Riven, that's what bothers me, because you and I should sit on High Command together, a symbol of the new generation of Noxus."

"I told you what happened," she sighed. "You didn't believe me."

"I _believed_ you," Darius corrected loudly, holding up one finger, "but I didn't understand the problem. You _survived._ You should have found that captain and put him to death, if he offended you so badly, and then taken command of his unit." Riven couldn't help but laugh. Darius' no-nonsense approach to 'commanding' was so foreign to her. Even before the war, she would have never killed a superior just because she disagreed with him. But then, he must have understood Noxus much better than she did. 

"Darius," she began, turning partly to face him, "I served a very different vision of Noxus than you do. I - "

"That's fine," Darius interrupted loudly, "but you've _abandoned_ that vision. Haven't you?"

"I..." Riven blinked. "No, Darius, it never existed."

"It existed in your heart, didn't it? It was what you believed in." Riven faltered. What was he talking about? "Tell me about it," he continued, firmly. "Your vision of Noxus." 

"Uh, well..." Riven looked back at High Command again, sighing and shrugging. "I don't know, Darius, I just... growing up, I always saw Noxus as the place where anyone had the potential to be great. Where... the people that worked for it were rewarded." 

"It is that," Darius said lowly. "You and I were proof."

"We weren't rewarded," Riven countered, "we were just strong enough that the people above us feared us. And when you came home, you built off of that fear, and destroyed those above you. You cleared your own path to the top."

"And?" She had expected him to grin at this, for some reason, proud of his accomplishment, but he didn't. He just watched her, as confused as ever. "If I don't use my power to advance, what was the point of getting it?"

"What's the point of advancement?" Riven asked bitterly. "All you've done is destroy other people's lives." 

"Tell that to the Noxian forces that would have died without my reinforcement," Darius hissed. "Tell that to the families whose soldiers came home from war because of my leadership. I destroyed those too incompetent to properly lead, because they'd have died without me."

"And what about me?" Riven was snarling now, and her fists were curled; even in the cold and the dark, she began to feel hot, and her heart and head were pounding at her. She remembered she was a little drunk, and wondered if Darius could tell. "What about - what about all of my men, Darius?! Did they die because of my incompetence?!" 

"Yes," Darius said quietly. "You know that already, don't you?"

She did. She wished she hadn't asked, and she was furious with him for answering. Why did she even ask that? 

"So you could have destroyed the one responsible for their deaths," Darius continued. "You didn't. You could have made good on your own power, and demonstrated you were a cut above those too weak to follow you safely. You didn't do that, either. I understand the guilt and the grief, Riven. But you've wasted their lives now. Not only are they gone, you - the only survivor - have nothing to show for it." 

"How does killing more people make their deaths worthwhile?!" She stood up now, towering over him. "That's - what even is that!? How am I supposed to have anything to show for their deaths, what does that _mean_!? They're GONE, Darius! That's what being dead fucking means! Nothing I do changes that, or brings any meaning to it!"

She paused, panting. Her head hurt quite badly now. The moon illuminated only half of Darius' face; he watched her, eyes critical, lips curled down. But his expression slowly softened. 

"That's why I'm not coming back," Riven snapped, unwilling to let him speak anymore. She wouldn't have any more of his smartass retorts, where he just said the thing that was obviously right. She wouldn't let him have an opening like that again. "Because all I'm good for is helping people die for nothing, and if that's all I'm good for, I'd rather do nothing at all, and let other people live."

"If Ionia declares war with us," Darius asked quietly, "where will you go?" 

No, Riven protested in her mind, shut up, stop talking. She didn't hear him. She turned to leave, storming up the steps out of the Wake.

"What will you do when that fox friend of yours turns on you, Riven?" Darius called. "Where will you go?" 

"Shut up," Riven hissed, clutching her head, trying to maintain her balance as she walked quite a bit faster than she should have. Her feet kept wobbling, unwilling to move straight forward and up and down at the same time. She stumbled and caught herself on a step, and Darius caught up to her - grabbing at her elbow, but she thrashed and pulled away from him with a snarl, pushing herself swiftly up and trying to walk away again. He followed along doggedly. 

"No!!" She screamed, lashing out at him behind her. "I'm not going to fall for your awful pick-a-side shit! I don't care anymore, Darius! I'm not on anyone's side!"

"Okay, fine," he growled, stopping and letting her go, folding his arms. "Fine! Run away again." She stormed away without looking, but couldn't block him out; his voice boomed across the emptiness and rattled her skull. "Run from your home, and run from your problems, and when the world goes to hell and Ahri turns on you, run from her, too. You'll live the longest that way, Riven! Everything you love will keep dying, but at least YOU'LL live!" 

 

Riven walked alone for several minutes, stopping only on the last stretch before the manor. There was a lone figure, standing in the road, in Riven's path. She stopped, sizing it up, baring her teeth. She was shivering and in pain and furious. She didn't have the patience for this. 

"Riven...?" It was Zoe's voice. "You alright?"

"Fine," Riven hissed, holding her head again. There was a lantern behind her; the light throbbed in her eyes still. How much had she drank...? She couldn't remember anymore. It hadn't felt like much at the time, she thought, but... 

"The others just got back," Zoe said. "Said General Darius wanted to talk to you. I... I was going to come check on you."

She couldn't help but huff, laughing a tiny laugh under her breath. "Thanks, Zoe." 

"Hey, I - " Zoe paused, awkwardly; Riven looked up to see her looking down, as if nervous. "It's okay if you don't want to, but - do you want to spar with me?" 

"Zoe, I'm drunk and it's late and my feelings are hurt," Riven sighed, exasperated. "Why would I - "

"I know," Zoe agreed. "Sometimes when I'm upset and not thinking straight I just like fighting. It helps me clear my head, you know?" 

Riven stared at her for a bit. Her brain didn't seem interested in coming up with a coherent response to that. _I guess that settles it._ Slowly and deliberately, she drew her sword-shard. She saw Zoe smile faintly, drawing her own daggers. 

"I'll go easy on you," Zoe taunted.

"Like hell you will," Riven snarled, lunging. 

Zoe was so fast. So much faster than Riven remembered! She pranced out of the way of Riven's attacks easily, and Riven quickly had to change tactics, fighting defensively and looking for openings instead of pushing advantages. She quickly realized that Zoe had learned from their last fight - that she knew not to treat the runesword as a heavy weapon. She smirked a little, trying to reign in her slashes, but her muscles felt sluggish and unwilling to yield. The weapon grew heavier and heavier in her hand, and her attacks became clumsier. 

But that only angered her more. She lashed out more desperately, unwilling to lose. Zoe dodged more dramatically, staying out of reach, and Riven was allowed to fight aggressively again; still, Zoe outsped her easily. But she wasn't pushing advantages or abusing openings. Really, she was... just letting Riven swing at her, and carefully avoiding getting hit, parrying and dodging and watching her blade very carefully. She was deliberately allowing Riven to work out her feelings.

Riven really appreciated it. She wondered if Rhea did this for Zoe sometimes. The image struck her as endearing. 

"Darius spouted a bunch of nonsense," Riven hissed, catching her breath in a brief pause between blows. Zoe lunged to respond, but they were token attacks that Riven knocked aside easily. She tried to reign in her strength as she did, so Zoe wouldn't be sent flying or anything, and Zoe pranced back, before lunging in for another. She decided to let Zoe have a turn. "He talked about going to war again," she continued, grunting between attacks. 

"Rhea is very nervous about war," Zoe observed, in short bursts of her own. Riven liked how she sounded in a fight. "The others worry about you two." 

"That's sweet, I guess," Riven huffed, and she twirled to slash at Zoe horizontally; the girl had to dash back, and their momentum swapped again. "What do we do if we go to war?"

"Same thing we always do." Riven slammed downwards and Zoe caught it on both of her knives, groaning with the effort of pushing back Riven's full strength and weight. "We take contracts - ngh - and do what they say."

"What if we have to fight against - "

"We won't take those contracts then!" Zoe snapped her arm forward, surprising Riven with a thrust towards her shoulder, but she just had to stumble out of the way to avoid it; unfortunately, she lost her balance afterward, and dropped her sword. Zoe had snatched it up in an instant, with a triumphant smirk. 

Riven slumped backwards, catching her breath. Where were they? They had moved a lot. Had they left the street? She couldn't tell. The sky was very pretty, she observed, but not as pretty as the night of the March. She wondered what it looked like where Ahri was. 

Zoe poked her head into Riven's view. She was smiling. "Feel better?"

"A little," Riven admitted, smiling gratefully. "But I mostly need to sleep."

"Figured." She reached down, and helped Riven upright - pulling the taller woman onto her, allowing Riven to lean a bit. Riven stood on her own once they reached the gate, walking more carefully; it wasn't so hard to keep from stumbling if she just took her time. 

"Thanks, Zoe," she mumbled. Zoe just nodded, still smiling.

 

"We're heading out in the morning, by the way," Zoe murmured, as she and Riven were parting ways on the central stairs. "So be ready for that."

"Heading out?" Riven blinked, blearily. Oh right - they had a job! "Where?"

Zoe's smile turned to a grin. "Ionia, apparently."


	8. Chapter 8

> Duchess Karma: 
> 
> It is my understanding that there is an emergency summit taking place that you will be attending. 
> 
> A companion of mine wishes to speak on behalf of Noxus at the summit. I understand this is a lot to ask, but I would request that you hear what she has to say, and help her in whatever ways are appropriate. She is a noble that wishes to protest acts of war, and I thought perhaps you'd be most open to those messages. 
> 
> I'm afraid we don't have the time to wait to confirm your cooperation. I apologize for springing this on you, but hopefully, things will sort themselves out once we arrive. 
> 
> Sincerely, 
> 
> A friend of a friend.

 

 

Karma's eyes narrowed at the last line. There was a little fox's head drawn there. 

_Riven._

"I have not told anyone else," the guardsman said quietly, "in case this was legitimate..." She looked at up him again; he was assigned to Karma as one of her chaperones during the summit, and indeed for the last several summits, emergency or otherwise, as had become customary since the Noxian invasion. He had proven to be a quiet, but trustworthy ally, and as she considered his decision she smiled gently, pleased to know that once again the fates favored her. "But this could be a serious threat, as well," he added grimly. 

"I know who sent it," Karma said calmly. "It is either a matter of grave importance, or else nothing at all, and either way, I will host them." She glanced down at it again. _Still, for this to have arrived before we did... Ahri must have told her, and she must have replied immediately._ She tapped the little paper thoughtfully against her other hand. She couldn't conclude anything from that deduction; perhaps there was some urgent international business she had to conduct, or even something unsavory... or, perhaps she was just very worried about Ahri's condition, if Ahri had told her about it. So, a mystery it would remain, for the time being. 

"When did this letter arrive, exactly?" she asked, folding it up. 

"Two days ago," he replied.

"Have you any estimation when it was sent, based on that?" 

"At the earliest, two or three days before that - it was marked urgent, and - " 

Karma quickly parsed the dates in her head; she and Ahri had delayed about a week, and the journey from the Placidium took two days, but from the coast would take three. If they had left the same day Riven had sent the letter, then... "We should be expecting our guests within just a couple days, then, shouldn't we?" Karma inclined her head to him, and he bowed. 

"I'll make preparations," he agreed, and he darted away. Karma briefly watched him go, following the open-walled hallway before rounding the corner. Then, with a sigh, she turned and went back inside. 

The elders' quarters were modest, but acceptable living spaces, not unlike the dormitories offered to students at the Placidium, though notably in better repair. Karma's was shaped like the trunk of a great tree, with a kitchenette and study near the door, and a rounded staircase leading up to the balcony, which functioned as the bedroom. Ordinarily this was more than enough space, but at Karma's insistence a second bed had to be fit into that little area, rendering it much more cramped than before. 

She tried to ascend as quietly as she could, though the creaking wood stairs made that a bit of a vain effort; to her relief, however, Ahri seemed to already be awake, stretching atop the bed, fanning and uncurling her tails, yawning sweetly. "Happy midday," Karma chided, and Ahri pouted and folded her arms, though she quickly began mussing with her hair afterward.

"I was awake well into the darkness last night, mind you," the girl snapped, and Karma laughed softly - pleased to see Ahri smiling good-naturedly in reply. It did their hearts well to play and make fun; they each faced a monumentally daunting task, but dwelling on it would not help them. "Anyway, I feel rested enough," Ahri added, more lowly. "Let me get dressed." 

"I'm afraid I can't afford to wait," Karma sighed. "Besides, it may be best we run our errands separately this afternoon. I'm not sure you will be able to pry answers from the Starchild as readily as I."

"You don't believe in me?" Ahri pouted again, but then she pushed herself up and leapt over her bed, to where she had messily "unpacked" her clothes. She had insisted she would hang them up later, but so far had not delivered on that promise. "Do charms not work on celestial beings?" she called over her shoulder.

"I thought we would only use your charms as a last resort," Karma murmured, a bit concerned. They had discussed their tactics at length on the journey, but admittedly, she didn't know how much Ahri remembered or had even heard. Ahri had always been a sincere, eager, pleasant conversational partner, but for the last few days her attention had become spotty and her energy unpredictable. At points, she would be ranting on and on, branching subjects recklessly; at others, she would be seemingly unwilling to listen, constantly distracted, or she would even abandon their carriage entirely and just run alongside or off the path for a while. Other times she was barely able to retain consciousness. Were it anyone else, Karma would be baffled, but she understood what was happening to Ahri immediately - and kept as quiet about it as she could. The girl was smart, and very self-aware, so she couldn't be sure that Ahri did not realize... but reminding her of her lack of humanity would only hurt her feelings. 

"Oh." Ahri hesitated, looking back over her shoulder, a strange regret in her eyes; Karma could not be sure what it meant, but it wasn't hard to narrow the feeling down to guilt. "I... of course. I was just joking." 

"Were you?" Karma tried to keep the remark under her breath - a bit of a bad habit - but she knew there was no point. Ahri heard her, and her ears drooped a bit as she turned back to her clothes. "Either way, I don't actually know how susceptible she might be," Karma added, trying to sound more cheerful, as though playfully hypothesizing. "Perhaps it would simply depend on whose spirit was stronger."

"Perhaps," Ahri agreed noncommittally. But before Karma could worry more, the girl hurled her nightgown off, and swirled it about a hangar that Karma hadn't seen her pick up, hanging it up on the little rack beside her bed. "Well, then, I guess it's mostly a casual day for me, isn't it?"

"Being seen in formal wear is generally not a bad thing," Karma chided, watching her lithely gather her clothes and slip them on; they flowed around her like water and silk, never snagging on her joints or folding awkwardly beneath her movements, and she was dressed in seconds. Ahri had always had a strange, ethereal quality to her movements and the way she moved through the world, impossibly agile and dextrous, but she couldn't help but wonder if whatever 'power' allowed her to do that was waxing with her illness, too. When it came to spiritual anomalies such as this, you could never rule anything out. Nothing was beyond concern. 

"Well, I'm more comfortable like this," Ahri sighed, as she finished donning the scant two-piece she had found for herself shortly after they'd met. The girl swirled her tails and folded her arms, fanning them out and upward and smiling confidently, her gold eyes gleaming. "How do I look?"

"Fantastic, as ever, dear," Karma replied calmly. It felt nice to use terms of endearment with Ahri, without regretting afterward the possibility of smothering her. 

The girl's smile smile burst into a grin, and she dashed over towards the stairs - but stopped very suddenly, bracing over the rail and turning back to watch Karma. "See, you didn't have to wait for me very long. I tricked you into waiting anyway." 

"Ah, how sneaky." Karma rose more deliberately, and strode over to walk beside Ahri, without really thinking. But of course, as soon as Karma caught up, Ahri all but bodily leapt down the stairs, catching herself quite easily at the bottom and whirling about to wait again. Like a puppy. Internally, Karma winced. Like a fox. 

"But yes, we should go about our errands separately, I think," Karma repeated, as they "walked" out of Karma's quarters; Ahri settled to prance backwards and side-to-side, watching Karma with her hands behind her back. "I don't suspect I will see you until tonight again."

"Alright," Ahri agreed, nodding firmly, still grinning. "Best of luck with your work then!"  
"And you with yours," Karma agreed kindly, expecting Ahri to dash away immediately. But there was an odd pause. Ahri continued to walk backwards, but her motions slowed a little - and she turned, and began walking at Karma's side, though her eyes were cast downward now and her smile was fading away. "Is something wrong?"

"What? No." Ahri looked up with a start, then shook her head and looked away again. "Just... thinking."

"Thinking?"

"Where does Soraka live?" 

Karma blinked. "She... well, I don't properly know where it is, Ahri, but she lives in a private glade, somewhere near the Placidium. No one is allowed to approach without her explicit permission." 

"Oh," Ahri breathed, seeming disappointed. "I guess that makes sense."

"Why do you ask?"

"Do you think she's happy there?" 

Again, Karma hesitated, but this time less viscerally. "Again, I don't properly know," she said slowly, "but I would expect so, yes." 

"Do you think she could live in the Placidium, if she wanted to?"

"I don't think she would have any particular reason to want to." Karma put a hand on Ahri's shoulder - Ahri jumped again, but they stopped. "Ahri, why do you ask?" 

"Oh," Ahri gasped, as if she had not heard the first time. "Oh, I'm just curious."

Karma pursed her lips. Ahri's tails drooped and her tails wilted. 

"I just don't know what to do, with myself, I guess," Ahri muttered, watching her fingers fidget. "The only person even a little like me I know is Soraka, and she's... well... very different."

Karma sighed, and put her other hand on Ahri's opposite shoulder, pulling her in a bit closer; Ahri rested her head against Karma's. "You are quite unique, yes," Karma agreed softly. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. I wish I was just a normal human, so I wouldn't have to eat people, and could live with you and Riven and be happy."

"Do you think Riven would want to live with me?" Karma allowed herself an amused smile; Ahri shrugged. 

"I don't know, maybe not," she muttered defeatedly. 

"Well, Ahri, I know it's hard to think about." She pulled Ahri up, still holding her shoulders, and smiled down into her face. "But I know you're a very smart and thoughtful person," she continued, "and you'll make the right choice for your future, no matter what. For now, let's focus on what needs to be done today, and we can talk later about what to do tomorrow, and the next day." 

Ahri nodded, smiling a little. "Okay. Thank you." She hesitated; Karma was making to let her go, but paused also. "M-Mother," she added, shyly, afterward, her cheeks turning red and a little giggle following after. Karma couldn't help but grin. 

"Go on, now," Karma cooed, and Ahri nodded and dashed away, a bolt of white light swiftly lost to the twisting turns of the complex. Karma watched her briefly, too, still aglow from the sweet, earnest affection in Ahri's voice. But at length, she too began to walk. 

 

The summit had not yet begun in earnest, but even so, there was no shortage of work to be done. In addition to Karma's more everday duties as a duchess, many subtle factors needed to be arranged or at least understood well before she could present her case to the other elders. And there was Ahri to consider, as well - the threat of her illness, while unspoken, was understood, and Karma had no intent to simply lie back and wait for it to intensify.

First, she sought out Soraka. Each elder had the authority to sponsor one other at the summit; someone invariably sponsored the starchild, as her wisdom and serenity were well-known at the Placidium, and Karma intended to sponsor Ahri. It was an honor generally reserved for those with either some celestial or spiritual background, or someone with some other source of political weight, like Lee Sin might have been before his own appointment as an elder of the Placidium. Karma had not sponsored Soraka - but that didn't matter; as always, someone else inevitably had, and Karma knew she would be here, and where to find her.

The assigned quarters were arranged in a circular complex around the summit of the city, where the Elders' Chamber was built, towering over all else in Ionia. Beneath that, to the south, was a great boulevard, a teardrop-shaped plaza built onto the hillside, staggered staircases providing access to shops built into the ledges higher up. Once, it had been known as the Hallowed Ascent - but in celebration of liberation from Noxus, many great trees had been planted in and around it, affording color and shade. Now, it was called the Emerald Ascent. 

In the center, what once had been a park was now an overgrown tangle of trees, and at the center of that was a small arrangement of rocks and a moss-laden fountain. Soraka loved to rest here - it was unnaturally quiet at its center, and Karma was sure it reminded the celestial of the astral space that had once been her home. Karma found her sitting casually on one of the rocks, legs dangling down the sheer surface beneath her, her little hooves reaching down to about Karma's shooulders; Karma wondered at first how she had climbed up there, considering how slowly and carefully Soraka always seemed to move, but then... she cautiously regarded Soraka's hooved feet, giving them only a glance before returning her gaze to the celestial's face. Everyone does have their own strengths, after all. 

"Hello, Karma," Soraka said; her voice was kindly and doting, like a grandmother delighted to see her grandchildren, and even more delighted to show them the newly-furnished candy drawer. Karma smiled and offered a succinct bow; she had to acknowledge Soraka's seniority, no matter how unflattering. "What can I help you with today?" 

"I have a few questions about Ahri," Karma offered, a bit hopefully. But despite, Soraka's demeanor darkened immediately.

"Ah." The starchild closed her eyes and looked away, one hoof tapping lightly against the rock. "I must remind you that she is not the sort of creature I am most familiar with."

Karma wasn't sure whether to believe her. Soraka had always said that she was an ally of _all living things_. She wanted to protect all life - not just the innocent ones - and that informed many of her philosophies, and given the clout she carried at the Placidium, it had informed many of the philosophical trends leading up to the Noxian invasion: that life itself was sacred, and that the orderly procession of nature was not to be interfered with, nor to be mimicked, but to simply be revered. As far as Karma was concerned, it was a fascinating thought experiment - but nothing more. To her, Ahri proved that.

"You are the only healer capable of understanding her condition," Karma replied carefully. "There is no one better to ask, I am afraid."

"I understand," Soraka said, almost... dismissively. "Ask."

"Ahri is concerned about the consequences on Saarya," Karma began. "The combat instructor she accidentally drained." She started here for a very particular reason; it was an opening that she had carefully assembled in her mind on the way there, and had been considering for much longer than that. Karma had hoped that Soraka's seeming disdain for Ahri was just her imagination, but in case it was not, she needed to find some way to draw Soraka's attention to something she cared about more - to get the most useful information, and the most honest. The starchild had a great power not just to heal, but to understand, and Ahri would need every ounce of help that Soraka could provide. 

"It is unlikely to have caused any lasting damage," Soraka replied stiffly. "Saarya is a strong spirit that resisted Ahri's attack, and she will recover swiftly."

Karma's brow knitted. Was Soraka... deliberately trying _not_ to help? Did she know what Karma was trying to ask? "That is good to hear," she said. "Ahri's concern is that she worries that she may have taken too much essence from Saarya."

Soraka was quiet, her lips pursed, facing the setting sun. "A soul's essence is not something that there is enough of," she murmured, after a few moments. "You cannot separate it into parts, that then are or are not enough to form something else. It is a singular thing, and you either have it, or you do not."

Ah. That was a much more helpful answer. "Then we can conclude that Ahri cannot sustain herself by partially draining others, but leaving them alive," Karma continued darkly. 

"I wouldn't know," Soraka muttered. 

"Neither would Ahri. The only person with the expertise to even theorize is you." 

"She isn't my responsibility, Karma." At last, Soraka opened her eyes again - they flashed as they set on Karma, nearly drawing a gasp out of her. She had never seen Soraka look so - enflamed! "You know that, don't you?" 

Karma winced; she understood the implication, and had considered it extensively herself. "She seems very much alive to me," she muttered.

"Mortals are easily fooled indeed," Soraka growled. "She is an automaton. A puppet made to dance by wild magic. She is no more alive than the shapes leaves make as they fall in an autumn breeze."

Karma bristled. "I see beauty in that shape, and wish to preserve it," she responded heatedly. "If you do not, fine, but might you at least help me understand - " 

"She is dangerous, Karma," Soraka snapped. "She is a soul aflame, and must consume others to continue to burn; she will either fade away or grow out of control. You toy with dark forces in trying to preserve her. Let her die, for the sake of the mortal world." 

"That is what will happen if she starves?" Karma said, raising an eyebrow; still another question answered helpfully, if not reassuringly. "She will die?"

"That would be the best case scenario," Soraka sighed, looking away again. "But I don't know for certain. All I know is that it will be better than the alternative." 

Karma hesitated; in part to restrain the indigant flare in her heart, in part to determine what to ask next, in part to see if Soraka had anything more to say. She couldn't help but feel betrayed. Soraka had always proven a wise and cordial friend, someone with deep streak of sympathy for humans. She had somehow saved Irelia from the brink of death, and invigorated the will of a broken nation such that they could at last defend themselves, and Karma delighted in their differing philosophies because of the way Soraka never took offense, as though their beliefs could not be at odds even when they were mutually exclusive. To see her acting so defensive and cold to Ahri felt like hypocrisy. 

There were two feelings at odds in Karma, in the end. On one hand, she was driven by a passionate desire to understand, to - in a broad sense - become enlightened. She couldn't accept that Soraka was simply two-faced all along; something had to be different about Ahri, some significant truth to Soraka's accusation, and Karma wanted to know what it was. But on the other hand - she had chosen guardianship over her. Whether Ahri was an "automaton" or not, Ahri had a personality, she had desires and dreams, to become something greater than she once was. To hear this argument, to believe that Ahri was an entity that posed only danger to other life, would be to turn her back on the lessons Ahri had taught her, about the ability humans - and all life - has to change, to strive to be better. It would be to turn away from that same passion for enlightenment that would drive her to ask in the first place. 

Framed in this way, the choice was clear.

"Thank you for your time, then," Karma said quietly, bowing once more. "Ahri wanted to thank you for your help, as well. I'll leave you to your meditation."

Soraka didn't seem to have anything to add to that, so Karma took her leave. 

 

Ahri looked at the little notebook that Karma had given her and made a little tick mark in the corner and then counted them: seven, that was the number of times she had had to look at it, and she sighed despairingly thinking about it, she didn't used to be like this, she used to be able to remember what she was going to do throughout the day without having to reference a little piece of paper all the time, and Karma had told her that that was okay and that people had to keep lists and remind themselves of things all the time, but that wasn't the problem, the problem was that it was not normal for Ahri, but she knew Karma knew that and Karma knew Ahri knew that and they just didn't talk about it much and Ahri admitted she appreciated that. 

But she still felt that gripping withering cold in her heart as she thought about it, the way her memory was fading and she struggled to focus without falling asleep and the intense thrills she got from running and jumping and hiding and pouncing again, those things that had almost gone away for a while... it meant the fox was coming back... it meant that there was only so much time left for her before she would... 

Before something awful would happen, but Ahri didn't know what it was, and didn't want to find out, just like she had told Riven. 

...Wait. Wasn't she supposed to be - she snarled and looked at the notebook again, and with a surge of anger she made another little tick mark, because she was such a stupid inattentive fox and she hated it. 

Her little notebook indicated that she needed to talk to Wukong, and she tried to be reassured by that because she liked Wukong, and she very rarely got to see him in Ionia, and it would be exciting to spar with him and show him everything she had learned and then they could talk about things, but she couldn't help but feel anxious, because she didn't know if she wanted to tell him about... her... condition, what if he hated her or was scared of her, but then if she didn't say anything what if he figured it out by himself because Ahri was sick, or worst of all what if Ahri tried to eat him, that would be the very worst outcome, and she couldn't even be sure she wouldn't do it. Gods what a horrible terrible monster she was.

Besides she had to talk about unpleasant things didn't she? She had to talk about the summit, and about war, and she didn't really want to talk about those things with him, but oh well, that was what she had to do, that was her job and she had to know who would agree with her and who wouldn't so that they could plan out what to say when the summit actually started. 

There was a beautiful sacred garden in the Ionian capital that was meant mostly to be used for meditation, according to Karma, but there was a big area that Ahri thought maybe would work well for sparring, and maybe that was why Wukong was here; she approached him as quietly and slowly as she could manage without it seeming odd, because she didn't want to give anything away, she had decided not to say anything about her condition so she wanted to seem as un-foxy as possible, not like she ever wanted to seem foxy on purpose, but... 

"Ahri!" Wukong's voice was low so he wouldn't disturb anyone, but his face lit up all bright and he hopped to his feet as soon as he saw her; they embraced, and Wukong sat down in the grass again and gestured to the ground beside Ahri's feet, and Ahri hesitated, because she doubted she could sit still very long like this, so instead she said: 

"I've been learning to fight!" She grinned and flourished the little practice naginata Saarya had given her; Wukong looked surprised, but grinned back with an odd competitive light in his eyes.

"And you'd like to spar with the master already, is that it?" He hopped up, snatching his own staff from wherever it had been, had he stuck it in the ground like he usually did? "Fine then, I'll go easy on you," he taunted, "but only if we don't fight here." 

"Lead on then," Ahri offered, because she didn't really mind where they fought, and he nodded and gestured for her to come along, and they walked out of the gardens together, and Ahri realized her tails were swishing around happily and she was practically skipping, because she had far too much energy for anyone's good, but Wukong did not say anything about it, and that was reassuring. 

"I have to say," Wukong began, "I'm really surprised you're here, Ahri. Is Karma sponsoring you?"

Ahri remembered that she and Karma had talked about what to do if people assumed Ahri was being sponsored but couldn't remember what they had decided, but she figured that if they had talked about it, it was probably best not to say anything one way or another, but she really wished she had remembered what they had decided for sure! "Oh, we haven't talked about that," Ahri said, trying to sound surprised by the question. Wukong shrugged. 

"Master Yi is sponsoring me, this time," Wukong said, his voice a bit more grave than usual; Ahri gasped silently, not just surprised that he would be speaking, but also at the change in tone, she wasn't sure she had ever heard him sound so serious before. 

"That's very exciting!" Ahri offered, eager to be a supportive happy friend, and also to lead into her other questions, because this was important to know and really the reason she had come to talk to Wukong. "What do you think of this whole mess?"

"Well..." Wukong trailed off and stayed quiet.

"Um?" Ahri pranced ahead a bit to look him in the face; he looked away, his eyes dark and mournful, the usual spring to his step mysteriously absent. 

"I just don't like where it's heading," he sighed, shaking his head. "War is horrible, you know?"

"I do," Ahri agreed firmly. "It would be horrible to let it happen again!" 

"Well, that's the thing," Wukong sighed, "is it's going to happen whatever we do." 

They reached a secluded yard area, and Ahri looked around, realizing she had not paid attention to where they were going, and so she didn't have any idea where exactly they were, but it was wide and flat and no one else was here, and Wukong twirled his staff into his hands again, so Ahri dashed over across from him and readied herself as well; she had wanted to say more but it felt a little awkward with them both getting ready to spar, but to her surprise, as Wukong finished readying himself, he looked up with a faint smirk, and said, "I take it you're anti-war then?"

"No," Ahri agreed, without relaxing, her tails curling about even though the rest of her was still. "I don't see what war accomplishes."

Wukong lunged - but he moved slowly, and Ahri knew he could go faster than that, and even still he was so much faster than Saarya and she yelped as she blocked a downward swing. Just that one surprise was enough for her, and she quickly matched his speed, dashing backwards and swirling her own weapon back into a ready stance. "We don't know what Noxus wanted, when they invaded us," Wukong shouted, as he continued his assault - still just pushing Ahri back with blockable, but very quick strikes. Ahri grinned, she liked this, she liked talking in the middle of a fight, so she listened carefully, and watched keenly, and realized that... for the first time in a couple weeks... she could... focus.

This was the speed of her mind and heart. She could think, like this, and it excited her. 

"Noxus wants worthy opponents!" Ahri swept low instead of readying herself this time; Wukong leapt high above her to avoid it, but she dashed forward and created a great distance between them, allowing herself the time to ready her weapon again - then lunging forward, making a swift strike of her own. Wukong diverted her attack easily, but she carried her momentum forward instead of trying to stop, and spun around to defend against his counterattack. It was a familiar dance to her, even though Wukong's movements were much sharper and faster than Saarya's. "That's all they want," Ahri hissed, grinning, as their weapons strained against each other and they locked eyes. Wukong was smiling, too. "They didn't find that in Ionia, and I wonder if they started being more and more barbaric trying to bait us into being what they wanted."

"You hear that from Riven?" Wukong pranced back, but Ahri followed, stabbing repeatedly into his defenses, refusing to let him regain poise. 

"No, I've just guessed that much." She swept back and forth in time with her thrusts, as Saarya had taught her, moving as though she and the weapon were one. "Riven hated the war, and I saw a lot of Noxian soldiers that seemed so sad, too. It's hard to understand what happened."

"Huh." All at once, Wukong spun his staff and - disappeared?! Ahri whirled around, and sure enough, he was behind her somehow, and she only narrowly dodged his next attack, and this time he refused to give her the time to recover, and she was forced to hurriedly parry many strikes in a row. "That's not how others think of it," he continued, casually. "They didn't have to burn Master Yi's village. They didn't have to bring chemical weapons. You know?" 

"No, they didn't," Ahri agreed, through gritted teeth; she focused her foxfire and rushed forward as Wukong raised his staff for a downward strike; she curled herself down low to the ground so that she could sneak underneath his attack, under his arms even, and when she straightened up the naginata swirled in her fingers eagerly, singing through the air as she turned her momentum on one ankle and thrust forward again - catching Wukong in the shoulder. She really had not expected to hit him, but her motion was so fast and crisp and clean, he must not have seen it coming!

He cried out with surprise and stumbled forward, but caught himself quickly, and lashed backwards; they were in a neutral dance again, but this time, Ahri had hit him once. She grinned knowingly at him thinking about it, and he smirked back. "Don't get cocky, now," he teased. 

"Did you ever see a Noxian soldier's face?" Ahri asked, still grinning. He blinked, surprised - and she flashed her weapon forward again, intending to catch him off guard, but he batted the attack aside. 

"Lots of them," he growled, no longer playful. Ahri refused to give in.

"Have you ever kissed one?" She vaulted over his attack and used her falling body to strike back, pointing the naginata beneath her - when he danced back out of the way, her weapon embedded itself in the ground, and she leaned forward and suddenly brought it all the way over her head in a great slam, forcing him back further, and now she had the advantage again, by doing something stupid and playful. Fighting was so much fun! "Have you ever heard her cry as she apologizes for what she did here?" Ahri continued, almost taunting. "Watched the horror in her eyes as she remembers what she saw? We only saw half of the war, Wukong, and the other half wasn't any nicer to Noxus!" 

"And yet," Wukong said, his voice still low and grim, "they are the ones that started it." He swept his staff all around in a circle, very suddenly, and when Ahri backed away to avoid it, intending to dash forward again - he took control instead. Now he was moving far faster than before, and Ahri realized with a sudden sense of dread that she couldn't withstand his attacks without doing something very drastic. Had she made him angry?! "Don't get me wrong," he continued, grunting between movements, "I feel for your friend, Ahri. But - She lived." 

"None of her friends did!" Ahri couldn't see a way through his attacks, they were too fast - they were individually weak, but stifled Ahri's options. "And she wishes she didn't!" 

"Funny thing," he continued, "neither did any of Master Yi's." 

With a shout he spun all at once - Ahri yelped as she tried to catch the attack with her naginata, but she heard a great _crack_ and suddenly was skidding sideways along the grass, tumbling to a graceless stop at the edge of their little arena. When she tried to stand, her side cried out at her in agony and she gasped and collapsed again, clutching it. What happened? She looked up to see Wukong jogging over to her, offering a hand, and she very delicately helped herself up, still groaning with the pain of whatever injury she'd been dealt. 

"You okay, Ahri?" He winced, as he took her in - trying to step back, but Ahri buckled and he quickly returned to holding her shoulder. "Gosh, I'm so sorry! I got kind of carried away there, huh?"

"It's alright," Ahri laughed, as she pieced together what must have happened in her head: she tried to block his attack, but her naginata - it must have broken! So she'd just taken the full brunt of an attack strong enough to break her weapon. No wonder it hurt so much! She lifted one hand; sure enough, she only had half of a weapon shaft. 

"Oh, no!" Wukong gingerly took the piece from her, inspecting it sadly. "It was such a nice practice weapon, too!" He pouted. "I'll have to get you another one to make up for it, Ahri. I'm really sorry!"

"It's okay!" Ahri grinned into his face, and infectiously he smiled back all wide and dorky. "I think it's happy with our battle!" She bounced on her heels, but only very briefly; her heart was racing but calming down, and her robe was clinging to the faint lines of sweat that had built up on her, she felt fatigue building in her limbs, and knew that very soon she would fall asleep whether she wanted to or not, because that was just kind of what happened to her now that she was sick.

"A glorious way to go," Wukong agreed. His expression darkened a bit. "Well, Ahri, I - I know you don't really want to go to war. I bet you're worried your friend will get hurt, and you know, I do really understand that."

"It's more than that, though," Ahri protested, her own smile fading away quickly. "She fought in the war, Wukong, and she's so - even just the memory hurts her so much! She's not like what everyone thinks Noxus is like, at all! She's kind and sensitive and smart and she hates what happened here just as much as we do!" 

"If that's really true," Wukong said seriously, "then what do you think _she_ thinks of Noxus' actions?"

"She's scared," she snapped, defensively. "She's scared about what might happen, and she doesn't want to be involved."

Wukong blinked, and narrowed his eyes. "How do you - " But then he laughed, suddenly, sharply and happily. "Oh, Ahri, you've been writing to her, haven't you!?" 

"Yeah!" Ahri grinned, because his happiness was just so contagious, even if she still fretted a bit about what they were talking about before, she couldn't help how it made her heart swell, and how excited she was to talk about everything she'd done with Karma, because she had forgot he didn't know about it! "Oh, Wukong, it's been so much fun! I've been learning to fight but also learning a lot of Ionian history and calligraphy and Karma lets me read all her books! I never realized reading was so much fun!"

"Yeah? I'm not one for books myself." Wukong sat down, and Ahri gingerly sat down beside him, though her side hurt, so she kind of laid back instead, and then Wukong laid on his side next to her, and they were just laying on the field chatting, and Ahri liked that. "It's hard to imagine you reading, too, to be honest," he laughed. "But I bet you know all kinds of fun reading spots around Karma's estate, right?"

"Oh, well." Ahri hesitated, because she had to yawn, oh right, she was going to fall asleep soon probably, gosh the grass was so comfortable, she missed just laying on grass, what was she talking about? "I didn't really do a whole lot of exploring and climbing around Karma's place," she sighed, "because I was trying to learn to be a bit more like a normal person."

"Ah, how has that gone? I kind of like how energetic you always are, but you can be an energetic normal person, right?" 

"I dunno." She guessed this would be a good time to tell him, but she was very sleepy, and she couldn't remember for sure if she had decided to tell him or not, but she knew he was very nice and supportive, so it probably wouldn't hurt to say something, but then again she was so tired, maybe she should just wait. "I'm really tired, Wukong, is it okay if I take a nap here?" 

"Yeah, I don't think Master Yi will mind too much," Wukong said, grinning, "and if he does, he can fight me over it!"

"Oh, that seems unpleasant," Ahri mumbled, trying to push herself up - but her side hurt and she just kind of flopped back down again with a soft 'ow', so maybe that was not a good idea. 

"No, you stay here and rest up a bit," Wukong insisted. "Alright? We'll get you some dinner when you wake up. That sound fun?"

"Yeah," Ahri yawned, her eyes slipping closed. "Thanks, Wukong." 

"What're friends for, right?" She could somehow hear him grinning, and it still made her smile, too. 

 

She woke up with a start. Riven was staring at her. Riven! She gasped and cried out with joy and jumped up, hugging her tightly; Riven laughed and held her in return. "How did you get here?!" Ahri breathed, in wonder.

"I swam," Riven said, smirking, as they pulled apart. "When I heard you were sick, I had to come help!" 

"Aw!" Ahri smiled bashfully. "Thanks, Riven! It makes me feel better just to have you here, you know? Now I know you aren't in danger in Noxus or anything!"

"I'm happy to see you too." Riven leaned in and kissed her nose. "But enough about that. You need to eat, right?" Ahri gasped again, because she was starving! So she nodded. "Okay, well, while you were asleep, I thought I'd just get started!" 

She gestured to one side, and Ahri blinked, not sure what she meant, but she turned to look, and she saw - everyone. She saw Wukong, and Karma, and Irelia and Soraka and Master Yi and Saarya and Olivia, and dozens, hundreds, of other people she didn't know, standing still in formation like an army, looking forward lifelessly, and Riven smiled as Ahri took it all in, growing more confused and unsettled every second. 

"This way, we don't have to worry," Riven said cheerfully. "This is enough people to last you a long time, right? Even if it's not, we can find more." 

"Wh - " She looked back at Riven, horrified. "Riven, no, this isn't what I want at all," she cried. "What have you done? What is this?" 

"I just kinda thought this way you can pick whoever you want to eat in what order," Riven said indifferently, shrugging. "I'm going to be last, right? Then we can spend the most time together." 

"What happened to them?!" Ahri jumped up to her feet and approached the crowd - they didn't move, or look at her, or do anything at all. She reached out nervously to Karma, but Karma didn't react, and when she touched Karma's skin she suddenly changed into a bright blue aura, and that in turn curled up and receded to the shape of a hare - and Ahri was seized by an intense desire to grab it, to consume it immediately, and she whirled around, suddenly nauseous. 

"Why're you so squeamish?" Riven taunted, except it wasn't Riven's voice, it was Ahri's, and she looked up to see - herself - looking back at her, grinning, eyes narrowed impishly, but this Ahri was fully human, she had normal human ears and no foxy tails, and she laughed as Ahri took her in. "You've got to eat everybody eventually," other-Ahri crooned. 

"No!" Ahri cried, backing away hastily. "I don't want to eat people! I just want to be one!"

"And then when there's no one else left," the other purred, "why, then I'll eat you." Then she pounced -

 

And Ahri woke, again, with a start - this time because someone was touching her hand, and she flailed away and cried out, but it was just Wukong who yelped and flinched backward also, but then began to laugh, and Ahri panted as she watched him, slowly calming down and recognizing that she had been dreaming - that was a nightmare, and everyone was okay, but gosh it was so vivid and - she could still remember it very clearly, especially the lifeless faces of everyone she knew, and many more people besides that, just lined up waiting for her to kill them... 

"Oh, you scared me, Ahri!" Wukong cackled, bounding forward but only just to rest on his knees in front of Ahri, grinning at her. "You looked like you were having a nightmare! Everything okay?"

The answer was no, and even if Ahri had decided not to tell Wukong - she couldn't remember now, but that didn't surprise her, she just dully accepted that she probably wouldn't be able to make any long-term decisions without forgetting them for a while - at the moment that she woke up, still shivering at the thought of her dream, trying not to hear "You've got to eat everybody eventually" echoing in her mind ominously, playfully - she had no hope of resisting; in that moment she _had_ to tell someone. 

"No," she whimpered, gingerly pulling herself up and curling into a ball, and Wukong's smile faded very quickly and he shifted a little closer too. "No, it's very not, and I didn't want to say anything right away and worry you but I really need to talk about it."

"Yeah," Wukong breathed, "alright. Listen, I just went and got you some soba, let me grab that, okay? And then you can tell me whatever you like." 

Ahri nodded, watching her lap as Wukong jumped up, and of course he was back within moments, and offered her a low and wide bowl of stir fry, and she admitted that it looked very good and she was very hungry - not just in the horrific monster sense - so she picked gingerly at it and managed to convince herself to eat some. It was so very warm and it tasted very good, it was very comforting, so she took a much bigger bite, letting it warm her up from the inside, letting the taste wash over her a bit, trying to push aside the bad memories and feelings to make way for this newer more pleasant one.

"So," Wukong offered. "Uh, what's - what's going on?" 

"I'm not a human, Wukong," Ahri mumbled.

"Nah!" Wukong grinned, dismissing this introduction easily, and Ahri knew she should have said something different, but whatever. "Nah, Ahri, you're whatever you want to be! And it seems like you've been doing so well at involving yourself in society this year, you're here at a big political event with me. That's very human, don't you think?"

"That's not what I mean," Ahri sighed. "I'm not a fox, either. I'm - something else." 

Wukong paused, his sunny aura beginning to cloud over. "What _do_ you mean, exactly?"

Blood pounded in Ahri's temples, and the outside world felt hazy and far away, so that thinking about it or looking away from Wukong hurt her head for some reason, but looking at him made her tremble and want to snarl, so she just stared at her soba, rapping her chopsticks on the side of the bowl sharply, again and again in a rhythm, and like this she explained to him what had happened, and she felt his eyes grow wide and his energy fade as she described it, and she at least appreciated that he took this seriously, though she wasn't sure why she thought he might not. 

"Oh, gosh, Ahri," he breathed, at length, as Ahri's sharp tap-tapping began to slow down and become even more forceful. "That's - that's horrible. I'm... wow, I really don't know what to say."

Her eyes flicked up to him, holding him just under her brow; he was watching her with a deep concern, so much that he kind of looked like Karma, and that felt odd and she didn't like it, and her teeth were pressed tightly together behind her lips and she wasn't sure why, she just felt - so hot and - angry? She wasn't angry with Wukong, he was a nice friend! She tried to breathe deeply, closing her eyes and focusing on the emptiness behind them, even though it wasn't empty and she kept seeing other-Ahri laughing and getting ready to pounce, her eyes flashing and her tongue barely flicking over her lips, as she prepared to Eat. 

"I didn't say something wrong, did I?" Wukong asked nervously, she had never heard him sound nervous.

"No," Ahri muttered, "I'm just - I feel strange. But I always feel strange now." She shook her head and tossed her hair and straightened up and flared out her tails, and Wukong didn't interrupt because he knew she had more to say, and she appreciated that. "But, yes. I'm still feeling sick, and if I want to get better, I have to decide my life is more valuable than someone else's." 

"Oh, that's not a good way of thinking about it, Ahri," Wukong said mournfully, spreading his arms. "Life isn't something you can trade around, you know? It's not like you're worth any less than any other human, but they aren't worth less than you, either!" 

"Oh yeah?" Ahri responded heatedly, her nostrils flaring. "What about the Noxians that burned Master Yi's village, huh? I bet you'd be happy to kill them to sustain yourself, if you were in my position." 

"Ahri, I'd never be 'happy' to kill _anyone_ ," Wukong said carefully, his brow knitting. 

"You know what I mean!" Ahri snapped, but she didn't mean to get so angry, and she withdrew and looked away, gripping her little bowl more tightly and gnashing her teeth, still trying to take deep breaths and then let them out very slowly, like Olivia had taught her. "Sorry," she mumbled, after a moment of quiet, realizing Wukong was not saying anything in return, though she didn't want to look up at him again. "I don't - I don't feel good."

"I'm just nervous about the way you said that," Wukong murmured. "If you start thinking of it as whoever's life is more valuable, then - that sounds an awful lot like... like you're thinking you're better than someone else, and they don't deserve to live because of it. And that's..." 

Ahri waited, as he trailed off, and her eyes clenched shut tighter and her teeth gnashed together. "That's what, Wukong?" she growled. 

"Well, bad," Wukong finished lamely, clearly not eager to say what he had been thinking, and Ahri couldn't help but imagine he had been thinking something not-nice about Noxus, how dare he, as if he knew anything about Noxus.

"Fine," she hissed, "what do you think I should do?" 

"I - " he balked, and sat back a bit, taking a deep breath and puffing his cheeks out as it came out in a comical sigh. "I..." He trailed off, and shook his head, and shrugged. "I really don't know," he admitted. "That's - I'm really at a loss, Ahri. You're - I mean, I can't really believe I'm saying this, but you're really committed to staying alive, even though other people have to die for it?" 

"That's stupid," Ahri barked, drawing herself up, "That's stupid! Why would you even say that!? Of course I want to live!"

"That's not what I asked," Wukong cried, suddenly just as animated as her. "I know you want to live! I want you to live, too! I'm asking, are you going to kill other people for it? Is that really what you're going to do?" 

"I - "

Ahri was going to say that she was. She was going to say 'I am, and I've already decided, and you can't change my mind'. But she heard other-Ahri cackle in her dream, and whisper, "you have to eat them all eventually", and she slumped and suddenly her heart was beating very fast and she felt very alone and scared, the world snapped back into place around her and the weird pressure in her head and hands and chest vanished, and she wasn't angry anymore - she was just very afraid about - something??

"Oh, gods, I don't know," Ahri whimpered. "I don't know either!"

"Hey, Ahri!" Wukong jumped forward - Ahri cried out in surprise - but he was hugging her. Tightly, and close; she hugged back and buried her face in his shoulder, shivering, feeling tears building up and her breaths start to shake and rattle, and she let it happen because she couldn't think of anything more worthy to cry about than the fact that she might just have to let herself die because she was too afraid to hurt anyone else. "Ahri," Wukong breathed. "I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I just... I just want you to be really sure, that's all." 

"I'm not sure," Ahri sniffled. "I don't know what to do."

"I'm sure this is so terrifying for you," he sighed. "I'm so sorry, Ahri. I really wish you could just live a normal life. I'd..." He shook his head and hugged tighter. "If there's anything I can do to help you feel better, or if you ever need to talk through something, I'm here for you, okay? And - and if you really do have to go, then, I want to see you before, okay?"

Ahri sniffled louder and dug her fingers a bit into Wukong's fur, and she tried to respond but her throat was too tight and she didn't know what to say anyway, because she didn't want to go, ever, she didn't want to think about it, she just wanted to go back to when she didn't have to worry about any of this and could just run around and play and chat with Wukong and Riven and for Karma to teach her things even though she wasn't always happy, she at least was happy most of the time and was trying to learn and get better, and it was - it was just better, than this. 

"It's late now, isn't it," she murmured, looking skyward, and sure enough it was fairly late, the sun had set and the sky was growing darker and soon it would be hard to see. "Wukong, could you please walk me back to Karma's quarters? I... I'm afraid I wasn't paying attention when we..."

"Oh, yeah, of course!" Wukong hopped right up, nearly dragging Ahri to standing with him - though Ahri followed along, once she had gathered up the remains of her soba, because she was still a bit hungry; Wukong had walked with Ahri back to the Ionian building of the Institute many times before, particularly back when Ahri was new there and didn't know her way around very well and tended to get lost in the woods, and he was always very chatty and friendly and had a lot to say, but Ahri was not terribly surprised to find that that was not the case today. Ahri felt like she was already sentenced to death, like he didn't want to approach her too close, and she silently pleaded that that wasn't true, not just that she wasn't going to die, but that... even if she had to, she would still have his friendship, because it was one of the only things left that comforted her. 

But he was silent for most of the walk, and only said a sweet but token good-night when they arrived, and then Ahri went inside alone, looking up to the loft where she half expected Karma not to be, but to her surprise Karma was already rushing down the stairs, looking pale, and she gathered up Ahri in her arms and held her close and Ahri hugged her back tightly again. 

"Ahri, what happened?" Karma breathed. "You look so awful. Are you alright?" 

Ahri couldn't answer at first but she was so relieved that Karma asked and she just nodded. 

"Are you sure?" 

She nodded again, and sniffled loudly and coughed, and said, "I told Wukong." 

She could practically hear Karma grimacing. "You'll have to tell me about it," she said softly. "But first we have to talk about business. Will you be okay for that?"

Ahri nodded again. Karma hesitantly drew away, and Ahri smiled up at her, showing that she was grateful and feeling better, and she tried to wave her tails and to her delight she found they had already perked right up, and Karma laughed softly and kissed her forehead and led her back up to their beds, and they sat opposite each other and discussed what they had learned while Karma took notes; having a task to focus on like this made Ahri feel better too, because it helped distract her, but also it felt like she couldn't die yet because she still had work to do. 

"So I absolutely have to kill them to sustain myself," Ahri murmured, kicking the floor. "That's what she said?"

"Essentially, yes," Karma agreed solemnly. "It is the worst foreseeable case."

"Well, at least Saarya will be alright, then," Ahri sighed. 

"How did Wukong take it, when you explained it to him?" Karma asked, tentatively, and Ahri fell to the side and hugged her pillow, closing her eyes and whipping her tails onto the bed behind her. 

"He was very upset," she muttered; she was trying very hard to focus and recall, because she had promised that she would take notes on what she leaned about things, but since she'd gone and fallen asleep she couldn't remember anymore obviously, but focusing gave her a headache and made the room spin a little so she had to lie down and not look at anything. "He said... something about... one life not being more or less valuable than any other? He didn't like the idea that I would actually... you know... hurt someone."

"As you can imagine, we are all a bit averse to it," Karma sighed. "Do you feel he was supportive?" 

Ahri automatically wanted to say yes, of course, but a sickening weight in her stomach kept her from saying it, and it only grew worse as she thought about it, because the answer was no, for the first time, she... she didn't really feel supported by him, not the same way that Karma made her feel. 

"It's hard to take in," Karma continued softly, soothingly. "Wukong is a good person, and you and he are close friends. I'm sure it will just take him some time." 

"I hope so," Ahri said under her breath. 

"But at the same time," Karma added, "you need to be prepared for this sort of response from anyone you tell. No one likes your reality, Ahri, but many other people will..." She paused, and Ahri looked up startled, watching Karma carefully consider her words, and she sighed, and added:

"They'll be afraid of me." 

Karma sighed, too, and nodded in defeat. "We can't let that stop us from sending our message," Karma said firmly. "People need to be able to trust you and I both."

Ahri nodded, faintly, but her ears and tails drooped a little, and she looked away, tapping her feet against the floor; there was a window essentially at eye level across from the loft and outside of it she could see swaying tree branches and pale moonlight, and she wondered how many more times she would get to go play under the stars, or how many more times she would get to watch the sunrise, or how many more times she could play in a pond. 

"I have some much-needed good news for you, though." 

Ahri blinked - oh no, she'd gotten distracted - she looked up, surprised; Karma was smiling and offering her a little slip of paper, which she gingerly accepted, and she read it very slowly. 

_Sincerely... a friend of a friend._

Ahri's eyes grew very wide as she saw the face drawn next to it, and she began to bounce on the bed with excitement, her tails whipping around happily, and she looked up to Karma, who was smiling knowingly in front of her. "It can't be," Ahri whispered. "She's - really coming?!"

"We don't know that it will be her," Karma said softly, "but I have made preparations for guests to arrive in a couple of days."

"Oh, I'm so excited!" Ahri beamed, squirming in place - handing the letter back and then immediately laying herself down again and throwing the covers over herself. "Okay! I'm going to bed so she can be here sooner!"

Karma laughed. "Ahri, you can't wear your robes to bed."

Ahri looked up and stuck her tongue out and Karma laughed again and Ahri laughed with her and she was very glad that someone would still laugh with her even with all that had happened. 

 

The next morning, Ahri was gone when Karma awoke. It was not the first time she had done this, though reigning in her initial sense of panic was still rather difficult. She left a note for Ahri to copy into her notebook, so that the girl wouldn't forget about any of her assigned tasks that day, and then she set out. Her first appointment was not one she could miss. 

Though the Council of Elders was meant to represent each region - and each Elder - equally, such a system always had its flaws, and Ionia's was no exception. Elders with especially storied history such as Karma's were highly regarded, yes, perhaps even to a degree that could be considered inequal - but Elders with disproportionate economic power had their own peculiar respect, as well... most notably, Elder Nazeguro. When the province of Shon-Xan had fallen under Noxian rule, its Elder was slain, but Nazeguro had already stepped into the role by the time the Noxian forces finally withdrew from Ionia entirely. Evidently once a wealthy merchant, Nazeguro was renowned for his role in preventing the Noxian war machine from damaging the countryside, the citizens, and the economy any more than was absolutely necessary, apparently at significant personal sacrifice. Karma had met him many times since then, and had never liked him. He didn't project the hallowed and selfless aura of one that would do whatever it took to protect their people. She strongly suspected that he had not "sacrificed" so much as "sold out". 

But to say so in front of anyone else would be tantamount to challenging Nazeguro's honor, and to do that would be political suicide. With the only remaining trade posts on the south shore of Ionia and the greatest proportion of surviving nobility and merchantry, Shon-Xan's commerce - and effective power - had nearly tripled since the war, and now vastly outshone every other region. Anyone who wanted supplies or goods from across the sea had to maintain good relations with Nazeguro. 

Karma was not exactly thrilled to have been invited to a private conversation with him. 

She was led to his quarters, and he waited for her on a great tatami mat; they bowed to each other, as was customary, and sat across from one another, and Nazeguro's servant slipped away and left them in privacy. They regarded each other silently for a few moments after - her warily, and him appraisingly, but then, she doubted there was anything he didn't look at with that gaze. It took a certain... coldness... to be an effective businessman, she had found. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" Karma began, deciding that their silence had been long enough for her tastes. 

"I have heard many unsettling rumors," Nazeguro said, his voice a keen mockery of concern. "Many of which concern you, Duchess, and I would have you made aware by a friend first rather than an enemy."

"I was not aware that I had enemies here in the capital," Karma replied, allowing herself to seem surprised. This was, of course, obviously false, but it was traditional to avoid referring to anyone whose policies you disagreed with - or even who you intended to steal power from, or had to defend against - as 'enemies'. Nazeguro was talking about something different. 

"I certainly hope that it proves you are right," Nazeguro agreed, gravely. "First, on the matter of your friend, the fox - do you mean to sponsor her?" 

"That is a matter yet to be decided," Karma said cryptically, narrowing her eyes. This didn't bode well. She wondered if -- 

"My sponsored party, Soraka," Nazeguro continued, "has informed me that your friend exhibits some very troubling symptoms."

Karma's fingers curled into fists in her lap. This might very well be the worst possible outcome. She knew, of course, that Nazeguro had sponsored Soraka. But she had not expected her to _say anything._ It was brutally disrespectful of Soraka, because there was absolutely no benefit to Karma or Ahri - it wasn't like Nazeguro could somehow provide something to help them; this was something Ahri had to tackle on her own, especially if Soraka insisted on giving such unhelpful advice. Karma could only guess that Soraka meant to further discourage Ahri from consuming anyone by making it much more likely she would get caught if she tried, but even so, it was a very out-of-character display of force from the otherwise very passive celestial. 

"I am well aware of them," Karma said stiffly. There was no use in hiding it, she had no way to stop Nazeguro - or Soraka, for that matter - from circulating this rumor further. Being secretive and allowing others to see Karma and Ahri as wildcards, or even as threats, would only be more harmful in the long run. "Ahri's intent is to do something meaningful with the time that she has left," Karma continued, "and that is why she is here."

"Ah. How beautifully noble." He inclined his head. "Do keep Soraka and I informed as to her condition. We wouldn't want to see anyone get hurt."

Anyone, huh? Karma nearly rolled her eyes. Her tolerance for passive-aggressiveness had ran out fairly early during her education in the Placidium, and she couldn't seem to find it anywhere ever since. "I'm considerably more concerned about this talk of enemies," Karma continued. 

"There are rumors that a mercenary troop of Noxians are en route to the capital, as we speak," Nazeguro continued, his voice more forceful than before. He seemed to think he needed to worm something out of Karma, and she was delighted to have the upper hand in that regard. 

"Oh, yes, of course," she replied cheerfully, relaxing and smiling pleasantly. "I've invited an old friend of mine from the Institute to speak on behalf of Noxus at the summit. She's entirely anti-war, you see, and I think such a perspective would do our collective wisdom a great service. It's common practice for Noxian nobility to travel with an entourage, so you needn't fear that." 

"I see," Nazeguro growled, clearly displeased with her reaction. She wondered what he had expected. Did he think she intended something uncouth? Or perhaps he thought he had the drop on her, and she didn't know yet? That was a particularly unsettling possibility, as it implied that he knew that Riven had set out without Karma's prior knowledge. But he didn't seem to care to say anything about that just yet. 

"There is yet one other matter that I wished to alert you to, however," he continued. "I have reports that the serial killer known as the Virtuoso been tracked coming towards the capital, as well." 

 

This was news to Karma. Very bad news. "That is a dire concern, indeed," she murmured, setting her jaw. "You don't think he intends to target the Elders, do you?" 

"Jhin is known to prefer politically and internationally significant targets," Nazeguro intoned. "It is best to assume the Council is his intended destination." He straightened, gesturing to the door behind Karma - a signal that he was finished with her, though it was somewhat early to announce that. "It is best for those of us who still desire peace to look out for one another, I think," he concluded. "Ionia has entered a dangerous mindset of late. We must all endeavor to find balance."

Karma considered staying, just to irk him, and to drive home a point of courtesy - that she should be allowed to state her own business, if she had any - but at the same time, she was not terribly interested in being here any longer than she had to be. So, she rose, bowed, and turned to leave. 

"You should not sponsor the girl, Karma," Nazeguro said quietly. 

Karma froze. "Excuse me?"

"A final point of advice. You should not sponsor the girl." 

Karma turned halfway, glaring spitefully. How dare he. What kind of meeting did he think this was - to give her leave, then immediately speak as she took it? "I will sponsor who I deem best, Elder," she growled. 

"A predator of humans does not make a good peace ambassador," Nazeguro replied levelly. "She does not make much of a good anything. She is a threat, and you would do well to treat her that way." 

Karma felt her blood boil, and her fists clenched again, but allowing him to nettle her so easily would do her no good. She had expected fear, not outright antagonism, and yet, that was what she was getting. Ahri would feel it soon enough... if she hadn't felt it already. 

"I will sponsor whoever I deem best," she repeated dismissively, whirling around again and continuing out. "Good day, Elder Nazeguro."


	9. Chapter 9

Ionia was so beautiful. More than Rhea remembered. 

Even the scars from the war were healing, and that too was beautiful, especially to those that could see them. She and Riven could easily spot plains that had been trampled and drowned, where thin grasses had begun to grow. There were forests burned as though by wildfire that were just beginning to return to life, and there were villages rendered hollow with small shacks built aside that were more recently occupied. 

But there were also the bogs of gray-ashen matter that the Melters left in their wake. There was no telling what had once been there, before the chemical barrage; maybe a village, maybe a forest, maybe just a battalion of Ionian soldiers. The roads went nowhere near them, but from Ionia's many ridges and mountainsides, you could usually spot a couple; Rhea regarded them sadly, but Riven's reaction was much more... visceral. The first time she had nearly vomited on the spot, and ever since, even just knowing one was within sight made her pale and somber, and she refused to look at them. 

Rhea sympathized. Melters, and their aftermath, were perhaps the most horrible thing she had ever seen in her life. 

The Ionian capital was close, now. They were scarcely a day away, and here, Ionia's natural beauty shone through ever more purely. They had started scaling the foothills of the Navori mountain range, which separated their namesake province from the northern half of Ionia, and it was only a short ways into that range that the capital was built. Even though this was supposedly a major road to the capital, however, it felt more like a somewhat well-traveled trail than a real road. 

Riven had ordered their halt a little after sundown, on a ledge overlooking the next major leg of their journey - down into a valley, then up another mountainside, and on the other side of that would be the capital city. It was well into night now, but the moon was so bright that they could still see clearly - the gorgeous silvery-steel rock faces and emerald green flora masked with a deep blue, and distant waters reflecting shimmering starlight. 

It was transfixing. Rhea hoped she could live here some day. 

She turned back to her companions. Keith and Vaughn were chatting away happily, and Zoe was sharpening her knives mindlessly, staring out at the view with her back to the cliff face behind them. Riven - 

"Where's Riven?" Rhea asked, suddenly worried. 

"She walked ahead," Zoe said softly. The boys looked up, but didn't speak. Rhea nodded her thanks, and started down the path. It descended into a switchback and soon their overlook was lost to the canopy of trees overhead; in the darkness, well off the path and surrounded by moonbeams, she saw Riven pacing - but as Rhea made to approach, she looked up, her eyes fierce as ever. 

"Don't mind me," Rhea said playfully, smirking and crossing her arms. "Just don't think it's wise for anyone to be alone in this foreign land." 

"Yeah," Riven said quietly, looking away again. Rhea frowned a little. Riven had become very distant since they'd arrived... not that the reaction surprised her. The more she'd spoken with the girl, and the more she'd opened up about her experiences, the more Rhea had realized that they were not quite alike. They had both served a miserable, resolve-breaking deployment, yes, but something... had happened to Riven, something she was unable to talk about, something that made this much, much harder for her. For Rhea, Noxus had simply failed - failed to earn her respect, failed to live up to her ideals - but for Riven... 

"Riven," she said, softly. Riven nodded. "I'd - I'd really like to talk."

"Yeah?" Riven smiled a little as she turned back. "Sorry, I've been spacing out a lot today. What do you need?"

"Nothing leaderly," Rhea joked. Because Vaughn and the others had never been to Ionia, they deferred 'leadership' to Rhea, but Rhea didn't want it - she didn't see herself as a leader, and she knew she had no talent for giving orders. So she had in turn immediately deferred it to Riven, who had - to her surprise - cordially accepted. Not only that, but she had been a very pleasantly responsible leader, ensuring everyone knew where they were going and what their plan was. She was also a bit of a taskmaster when it came time to set up or tear down camp, much to Vaughn's chagrin, but Rhea didn't mind it at all. It was good to be put to work, especially by a youthful commander she could actually respect. 

"No?" Riven's smile grew softer, but also more bitter, and her eyes glassed over; she knew.

"We're alone," Rhea offered. "It's a good time. I can't make you, but I... well, I worry."

"There isn't anything you, or anyone else, can do about it," Riven sighed. She shook her head, and looked skyward, stepping briefly into a moonbeam to stare out at the sky directly. "It's just a bad memory, and it's hard to be reminded of anything else."

Rhea nodded slowly. "Well, then," she sighed, "I hope that we can help you make more pleasant memories here in Ionia." 

"Yeah, I hope so." Riven's smile brightened again, just the faintest amount. She wasn't one for bursting grins or overt expressions of delight; hers was a reserved happiness, something Rhea saw only very rarely in Noxus. Even when she laughed, she did so with a sort of reverent quiet, covering her lips with a couple fingers or looking away, eager not to be too loud. At first she'd thought that Riven was nervous about being seen smiling - but over time, Rhea had decided that that wasn't it... it was just that Riven felt happiness in brief waves, and that she didn't want to waste it. And she could respect that. 

"Are you feeling comfortable with the plan for tomorrow?" Riven asked. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"I think it's a good plan," Rhea said soothingly. "The only part I'm worried about, honestly, is meeting the Duchess and your friend. I certainly hope they are not too upset with us."

"Yeah, me too," Riven agreed, but she shrugged. "It will be nice to see her either way."

"I'm sure." 

 

There was a moment of quiet between them; Rhea looked around, admiring the tranquility of the forests, and beside her, Riven resumed pacing again, her footfalls creating the only sound either of them could hear. When Rhea looked back, Riven was watching her feet, advancing very slowly and kicking along the dirt as she did, her eyes mournful and dark. 

"Riven," Rhea called, softly. Riven sighed, this time exasperated, and looked up. 

"Sorry," Riven murmured. 

"Why are you apologizing?" Rhea stepped in a bit closer. "It's just that something is clearly on your mind. If you don't want to talk about it, that's alright, but wouldn't you at least come back and socialize, so that we can help you take your mind off of it?" 

"That's sweet of you," Riven said softly. "But it's something I don't think I'm at liberty to share." 

"No?" Rhea frowned; that meant it wasn't about the war? Or... not _just_ the war, perhaps? "But if there's nothing you can do about it here, then should you let it get to you?"

Riven hesitated. She looked out into the woods and folded her arms tersely, taking a deep breath, and sighing it back out again. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she agreed, at length. "Can't do any more until tomorrow."

"Until tomorrow?" Rhea cocked her head, seeing an opening, and she tentatively made for it. "Is it something to do with our plan?"

"No," Riven said, "but it could present a complication." She glanced back to Rhea, her eyes flashing. "We're trying not to kill anyone, if I'm not mistaken..." 

"Well, if we can help it, no," Rhea agreed, recoiling with surprise. "What would be...?"

"Like I said," Riven sighed. "I don't think I'm at liberty to explain it. So for now, let's head back up." 

"If you don't mind, I'd like to stay in the woods a bit longer," Rhea replied. "It's nice down here."

Riven huffed. "Well, I don't think it's terribly wise for anyone to be alone in this foreign land," she said, faux-seriously, and Rhea chuckled. "I'll stay with you then." 

 

Another few moments of quiet passed. Silently, Rhea counted Riven's footsteps. Seventeen. Twenty four... Thirty nine. 

"Where's home, to you, Rhea?" 

Rhea looked up at her, feigning surprise, secretly elated to finally have drawn something personal out of Riven. "Here," Rhea said simply. "With my company."

"What, so you're just resigned to travel forever?" To Rhea's surprise, Riven looked disappointed; she shrugged, tossing her hair. "It's not like I don't like traveling," she admitted. "I just kind of hoped to have... a destination in mind, in the end." Rhea nodded thoughtfully. The closest thing she had to a permanent home was that dreary manor in Noxus, which she had no desire to be anywhere near if she could help it. "Well," Riven sighed, shrugging, "is there somewhere you might want to live?"

"Somewhere that crooked old Noxian vets could just settle down?" Rhea smiled, a touch knowingly, though Riven didn't seem to bite this time. "Well, as it happens," she sighed, "I was just looking around at the natural scenery, and thinking that I would really love to live here." 

"Here?" Riven looked understandably shocked. "Do you really think that you..." She trailed off, but Rhea just shrugged again.

"It's possible," she said calmly. "One of life's more valuable lessons, Riven. Everything is possible, given time." She smiled, and turned to face the darkness of the woods; in Noxus and the southern reaches of the Freljord, the trees were tall and thin, like a giant pegboard, but here they were gnarled and twisted - not sinister, but almost... wily. It felt so much more alive, as though the energy of nature itself was a tangible thing that could reach out and speak to you. Rhea had never really felt anything like it, and she was glad to have come back under somewhat better circumstances... even if they were only somewhat better. 

"You really believe that?" Riven asked, lowly, after a moment. "Anything is possible?"

"Within reason," Rhea said noncommitally. "You're not the person you used to be, Riven. You and Noxus have parted ways. Not everyone will be willing to see it that way right away, but if you want a second chance here, I'm sure you could find it." She turned and smirked a bit. "Especially with such grand friends as an Ionian Elder," she purred. 

"For the last time," Riven groaned, turning red, "I'm not _dating_ the Elder. I've never even met her."

"Oh?" At this, Rhea balked. "You're taking us to be sponsored by someone you haven't even met?" 

"No, but my Ionian contact is very close with her," Riven clarified, raising one finger. "I'm confident that even if we get turned away by the Elder herself, my contact's our ticket into the city. From there, it will depend on how we're received." 

"Your 'Ionian contact'," Rhea repeated airily-, briefly channeling the spirit of her overly well-to-do mother that would refer to anyone but her husband as an 'acquaintance'. "Aren't you at least excited to see her?"

"Yes," Riven growled, looking away, her voice low and faint. "Very."

"Oh." Again, Rhea paused, caught quite off guard. That was not the reaction she had expected. 

Riven shook her head. "For now, I want to focus on getting established and starting our search," she sighed, brushing her hair back. She turned and began her march back up the hill, swiftly passing Rhea without a glance. "I'd appreciate if you joined us."

The boys had calmed down when they returned, and Zoe had not moved; she glanced over at the two of them, her eyes betraying a faint curiosity, but she focused on Riven as she realized that they were about to be addressed. Rhea moved to lean against the wall beside her, and Zoe subtly shifted closer. 

"The path down into the valley looks easy enough," Riven explained, "so if we've gauged our distance right, we should arrive in the capital city tomorrow night. Our first order of business is going to be finding my contacts - they're probably staying with the Elders, and that will be..." She looked to Rhea. 

"The city itself is built onto a mountainside," Rhea explained easily. She hadn't ever been, but she knew ambassadors and noblemen who had. "The Council is always held at the highest point. We'll find them up there."

Riven nodded her appreciation, and turned back to the group. "It's very likely that they have prepared for our arrival, one way or another," she continued. "I'd like if Rhea and I could approach the city unarmed, and the rest of you appear as our escort. Other than that, we'll let Rhea do all of the talking until things go wrong, or until we've got somewhere private to start explaining the situation."

"Explaining the - " Vaughn raised his eyebrows incredulously. "You're going to rope the Ionians into this?"

"The job is to prevent key Ionian diplomatic figures from being assassinated, right?" Riven crossed her arms. "How do you propose we do that without understanding the political situation in Ionia to begin with? If we don't know who are likely and viable targets, do you just intend to personally bodyguard every Elder all day until the summit concludes? We have to start gathering information as soon as we can, not just about who the perp might be, but who are likely targets. I don't think we have time to do it without enlisting local help."

Vaughn sat back and nodded thoughtfully, though he didn't look terribly pleased by the idea; Rhea, by contrast, was delighted to hear it. This was a wonderful opportunity for Ionia and Noxus to start having some manner of positive relations, and Rhea desperately wanted to be a part of that effort if she could. Maybe, just maybe, all of that proper rearing and blue-blood nonsense was finally going to mean something. She smiled, as Riven glanced over at her again. 

"You'll understand when we get there," Riven added, with a little huff. "My contacts aren't exactly the most traditional Ionians."

 

That night, Rhea found herself staring upward at the night sky. She was sure she had been asleep before, but that happened at times, and she might not have thought anything of it... except...

She glanced to her side; the boys were fast asleep, snoring in fact, but neither Riven nor Zoe could be seen. She sat up slowly, stifling the groan that came to her lips as her body protested the movement, and checked behind her. Further up the path where they had come from, on a smaller and lonelier ledge, she made out a single silhouette - one of the girls, sitting with her legs dangling off the cliff, staring into the moon. And much closer, leaning against the cliff face and watching her, was...

"Zoe," Rhea hissed, urgently, but quietly. Zoe yawned and turned to regard her blearily. "What are you doing awake at this hour?"

"Keeping an eye on Riven," Zoe answered nonchalantly. 

"I didn't ask you to do that." 

Zoe's shoulders tensed and she folded her arms, looking up at Riven again. "Well, I'm doing it anyway." 

"Did Riven ask you to do it?"

"No. I don't think she knows I'm awake." 

"Just admiring your crush in the moonlight, then?"

Zoe bristled further and her cheeks burned red, but she refused to respond to this, even as Rhea could see her jaw working; it brought an impish smirk to her lips, and she pushed herself up carefully, standing next to Zoe with her back to the cliff, watching Riven as well. Their sterling young captain waved her legs in the abyss below, her gaze fixed on the sky; there was nothing in particular she was surveying up there, she was just thinking. Rhea allowed herself the optimism to hope that she was daydreaming. 

"She hasn't slept since we got here," Zoe observed mildly. "This is the first time you've noticed."

"Wha - haven't you slept?!" 

"A little, when she comes back to pretend to be asleep." Zoe shrugged. Rhea hadn't noticed anything off about either of them; she constantly found herself surprised by what Zoe was capable of - ever since they'd met, the ex-con was full of tricks, many of which were more worrying than useful. But more worrisome than Zoe's self-inflicted sleep deprivation was Riven's. It wasn't hard to imagine what was keeping her awake. 

"Did you learn anything interesting?" Zoe asked a bit hopefully. 

"Not especially," Rhea sighed. "She doesn't want to talk about it."

"Tsk." Zoe shook her head. "She is the sort to handle things herself."

"I guess so. But so were you."

"I still am." She sounded a little hurt, but Rhea guessed she was being playful, and nudged her. 

"Fortunately for you, I'm not," Rhea cooed, and she heard Zoe grumble with false annoyance and giggled. "Well, Zoe, what do we do with her?"

"If you would simply admit that you mean to add her to your collection of roguish retainers," Zoe grumbled, "I would have many more ideas."

Rhea could not help but laugh openly at that, try as she might to keep her voice down. Fortunately, Riven did not seem to notice them, and the boys scarcely stirred. "Are you projecting your daydreams onto me, now?" she taunted, watching with delight as Zoe's cheeks burned even brighter red. 

"She's got a girlfriend," Zoe huffed. "Don't toy with me."

"You two are good friends!" Rhea protested. "It's very sweet to see, honestly. Maybe I wouldn't mind having the both of you as my pretend-servants."

"Ah, but can you afford the both of us?" Zoe had turned her attention back to Riven now, but Rhea understood that that wasn't a slight or a desire to stop talking. She just wanted to be diligent in her watch. 

"I'll figure something out, I think," Rhea asserted. "For now, though, we must get her to stop dwelling on whatever's on her mind."

"We must," Zoe repeated softly. "I wonder about that." 

"Hm?" Rhea raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." She gestured up at Riven. "I know you're worried about her, but she doesn't look... unhappy. You know?" 

"She's been distant and brooding since we got here," Rhea countered. "And you saw the way she reacted to the melted fields."

"I don't much like the look of them myself, you know," Zoe grunted, shaking her head. She hesitated, and Rhea waited, allowing her to consider her words. She never wanted Zoe to feel pushed around or left out just because speaking honestly didn't come very easily to her. "She doesn't look stressed," Zoe continued, at length. "It just seems like she's focused. It's better than how she looked when we met."

"How do you mean?"

"She looked... lost. Like she only came with us because she was desperate to have some kind of purpose again, or something. Like you and I, you know?" Zoe looked up at Rhea again; her eyes had softened, and her lips had grown tight, symbolic of a worry that Rhea wasn't sure anyone else had ever seen in her before. "I remember the first time we met," she continued softly, "you told me that - that someone as talented as me has better things to do than steal from the rich." 

Rhea nodded slowly. 

"Someone as strong as Riven has better things to do than wander around like... I don't know." Zoe's gaze returned to Riven's silhouette. She was standing now, her arms folded, her white hair gleaming as it waved in the breeze; it caught moonlight like polished metal, and backed by the contrast, Rhea thought she could see Riven's ruby-hued eyes as well. "But either way," Zoe finished with a sigh, "now, she has something to do with herself, and she seems happier for it."

"Yeah," Rhea said quietly. "I guess you're right." 

"Like me."

"Yes, very much like you." She patted Zoe's shoulder. "She's going to come back down."

"We ought to look asleep well before then," Zoe murmured, pushing herself off of the cliff face. "Rest well, milady." 

Rhea smiled at the title, returning to her own spot as well. "Sleep well, Zoe."

 

Their journey the next day was even more lax than Riven had expected, so much so that she ordered the company to advance more slowly, which no one seemed to mind. Even Vaughn and Keith seemed transfixed by Ionia's natural beauty. 

It looked much more like home to Riven, the closer to the capital they got; Noxus was built upon a mountain, after all, and the foothills and crags of the northern frontier had always been one of her favorite places to be deployed during her training. But even those places were barren and cold - harsh, that had been one of her favorite words for it, like the terrain itself were bladed or scaled, protecting itself from the might of those that lived on it. Here in Ionia, it was bursting with life and color, so vibrant that, sometimes, if she looked at the mountainside funny, she couldn't believe that a war had ever taken place here. 

But it had. And if they failed, it might again. 

She shivered and crossed her arms. The thought of it was horrific - if Vaughn's mysterious, anonymous employer was correct, that meant that Darius' imperialistic raving was part of a coordinated effort, a deliberate attempt by Noxus to provoke other nations into _declaring war on them_. She couldn't imagine what the Grand General hoped to accomplish with such an incredibly arrogant scheme, but she did know that whether he succeeded or failed, the scars Noxus could leave on the world might never heal. She might be seeing those... those horrific pits of ash and muck... _everywhere_. 

Well, no. That might be an exaggeration, brought on by particularly fresh and violent nightmares that she had quite happily given up sleeping to avoid. But still, the price of Noxus' ambition would be steep, no matter what weapons of war they chose to use. 

She gnashed her teeth, trying her best to drive the thought out of her mind; she had been around it again and again and again, ever since they'd finally been given the details, wracking her brain to understand what in the name of all gods Swain was thinking, and ultimately, the truth was: it didn't matter. She had a job to do, and she could only focus on one thing at a time. The Grand General's schemes could be stopped, here and now; accomplishing that had to be her highest priority. Victory first. Unraveling the thought process of the Grand General later.

Victory meant getting up this impossibly gorgeous mountainside. Then, finding Karma, and... Ahri. Then...

No good. She couldn't think any further than that. She didn't know how either of them would react. She hoped that Ahri would be happy to see her, and she hoped that Ahri would be... 'well'. She fretted that Ahri was bedridden already somehow, or something of that sort, but she really had no way to know except for the increasingly awful worst-case scenarios her dreams kept coming up with. But she worried deeply about Karma, also. From what Ahri had told her, Karma seemed like a kindly but stern Ionian authority... she obviously had plenty of concerns about meeting someone like that, let alone imposing on them. 

But before that: getting up this _ridiculously_ beautiful mountainside. Riven shook her head at it in wonder. How could anywhere feel this... alive? 

 

By midday, only one final valley separated them from the capital city gates, but as they descended they found that - not unlike the capital of Noxus - the city extended into a poorer district well outside the walls, sprawling throughout the valley. Except... "poor" was very relative. Riven could not help but stare at everything she passed by; the buildings, shops, stalls, and carts were all in good repair, and the people that filled the city moved with a lively spirit that was utterly foreign to Noxus, let alone the slums. She almost wanted to stop and stay here, instead. Maybe that would work as a suitable backup plan.

The sun was setting as they approached the gate and its guards, who stopped them - Rhea and Riven had handed off their weapons, and that had turned out to be a good idea, as the Ionian sentries' eyes seemed drawn to them. "Good evening," Rhea began, bowing lightly to them, as Riven hung back. "I've sent word ahead to the Duchess Karma to expect me...?" 

"We'll send for her," one grunted, nodding back to the other. They were made to stand aside and wait. 

"So, suppose she says no," Vaughn muttered under his breath, nudging closer to Riven to be heard; Riven leaned in subtly. 

"She won't," Riven said firmly, though she wasn't convinced herself. Ahri wouldn't let her say no, would she? Unless they hadn't deciphered her message...? No, that was stupid, of course they had. Maybe they hadn't gotten it? 

"Suppose she does," he insisted. "Then...?"

"Then we set up in the valley, most likely," Riven said noncommittally. "Our plans will have to change and some things will be harder, but what matter is, we're here."

The gate began to open, and they both looked up sharply - from her seat on the grass, Zoe rose, and Rhea stepped forward, smiling confidently - but they scarcely had time to even wonder who might come through before a streak of white tore through the opening and bolted up to them - paused for a fraction of a second - and next thing Riven knew, she was sprawled on the ground several feet away, and Ahri was atop her, squealing into her shoulder. 

"Riven Riven Riven!!!" Ahri cried, sitting up, staring at her in bewildered joy. "Oh my gosh! Riven, you're really here! I can't believe it!" 

"Hey, Ahri," Riven laughed. "Sorry I couldn't give you some more notice." She grinned back at the fox, who fell quiet, panting - how far had she run? - before diving in with another squeal, pressing their lips together tightly. Riven had not exactly been ready for a kiss, let alone for Ahri to just shove her tongue directly in there, but she rolled with it, gently wrapping her arms around Ahri in turn. Her surroundings seemed to fade and go silent, and her eyelids grew heavy; she felt an intense peace washing through her, a desire to stay exactly where she was forever...

...she gently pushed Ahri up, and Ahri pulled back very slightly, still panting; they were still very close, and Riven didn't open her eyes. "You're pulling at me," Riven whispered; Ahri gasped.

"Oh no!" She made to sit up - but Riven's grip tightened and she refused to let her. "I - but - "

"I'll resist you just fine," Riven purred, grinning. "Just take it easy." 

But Ahri didn't take the offer. She nestled into Riven's shoulder instead, and Riven allowed that. Maybe that was best. She certainly didn't want to push Ahri, or to make her feel uncomfortable. So, as Ahri's breathing calmed down, she opened her eyes again, lifting her head just barely to see what the others were doing. Much to her relief and amusement, Vaughn, Keith, and Zoe had formed a wall in front of them, facing away and standing with their hands clasped stiffly behind their backs. She heard Rhea's voice, as well, and someone else's she didn't recognize, low and serene. Satisfied with their semblance of privacy, she laid back again, allowing Ahri her moment. 

She'd... forgotten... how soft, and warm, Ahri was. Her robes scarcely hid her skin, and Riven rubbed up and down her back, drawing a loud purring sound from Ahri as she arched her back eagerly into Riven's touch; as she pushed her upper body down again, Riven couldn't help but note the weight and pressure of her breasts, the smoothness of her legs clamped around what little of Riven's were exposed... A little flare of desire had sparked to life in her chest, and was growing rapidly, a distant memory coming quickly to life; Riven knew she'd missed Ahri, but the intensity of it surprised her. Maybe she needed to be a bit more careful than she had initially realized. She wondered if Ahri was faring any better. But oh boy, was that not a question to ask just yet. Mission objectives first, Riven. Sex later. 

"Hey," Riven breathed, nuzzling Ahri, who nuzzled back quite forcefully. "We ought to get up," she giggled. "As much as I love your nuzzles." 

"Don't think you've received the last of my nuzzles," Ahri mumbled. With another little push, she finally lifted herself off of Riven, who had to consciously avert her eyes from Ahri's mostly-exposed form. Riven climbed up next, and lightly jogged over to her compaions, nudging Vaughn's shoulder; he started, but then shifted to allow her forward again, a tangible sense of relief blossoming over all three of them. 

Rhea turned to face allow her into their conversation as well, to Riven's surprise - and she got her first good luck at Karma. Dark skin, creased with age but only faintly, with piercing eyes that drew Riven's heart into her throat at first glance... yes, Riven thought dryly, that's most definitely an Ionian elder, make no mistake. 

"It's a delight to finally meet you," Karma said calmly, less 'walking' and more flowing towards Riven, offering her a hand - which Riven grasped, firmly, and shook; to her delight Karma offered a similarly firm grip without missing a beat. "Ahri has sang your praises since the two of you met."

Riven couldn't help but go a bit red at the compliment. "It's good to meet you too," Riven offered, hoping that was adequate, and polite - those sorts of things were not exactly her specialty. "I really could say the same about you. It's - it's clear she really looks up to you." Wait. Duh. She's an Ionian elder, who in Ionia wouldn't? She bristled a little, but Karma didn't seem to take offense; if there was anything amiss with what Riven had said, she didn't show it. 

"Well," Karma continued gracefully, turning back to Rhea. "I would appreciate the chance to get to know you and your feelings a bit more personally before we commit to anything for the summit. Will you allow me to escort you to the guest holdings I have prepared?" 

"That would be wonderful," Rhea agreed. "As you can imagine, we've been walking for most of the day; I'm sure my entourage would be grateful for an opportunity to rest."

"With any luck," Karma replied, "they will have as much opportunity as they like, during the summit." 

Karma had a small guard troop of her own, who kept looking warily back to the mercenaries, and to Riven - though, a bit mysteriously, they didn't seem terribly concerned about Rhea herself. Ahri joined them quickly to attach herself to Riven's arm; Riven half expected to be dragged off to do something else, but Ahri didn't seem to have any tricks in mind. Just quiet affection. So, Riven spent the time passively sightseeing.

And were there ever sights to see! At every corner something new caught Riven's eye. Huge crystals loomed over obelisks, lazily turning to show every facet to those that passed by; waterfalls and fountains were built into seemingly every structure, forming neat gridlined streams that divided pathways, and growing from their little shores were magnificent trees adorned with gold and silver blossoms, far earlier than any blooms Riven knew of from the mainland of Valoran; paper lanterns and lights strung between buildings gave plazas and streets a cheerful and festive air. It was overwhelmingly pretty; Riven couldn't take it all in at once. No wonder Ahri was so fascinated with humans, if this and the valley-city were the sort of places that Ionians liked to create for themselves. 

Nearing the top of the city, they reached a tiered courtyard, with a grove set into its center, and Karma explained that it was the center of commerce during political gatherings in Ionia, known as the Emerald Ascent. And then, past that, was another guarded gate that Karma easily escorted them through, and a small complex not unlike the Ionian section of the Institute of War. 

"Your quarters will be directly next to mine," Karma explained, as she led them to a more utilitarian building, somewhat bland by comparison to the others, shaped more like temples or monuments of some sort. "You are free to wander the city, but once the summit has begun, those participating will be prohibited from going further than the bottom steps of the Ascent until it concludes."

The inside reminded Riven rather distinctly of a small tavern or inn, except - totally empty. There was a bar, which Vaughn began to inspect immediately, and a large sitting area with a fireplace already burning, and stairs leading up to a balcony, where Riven imagined their bedrooms must be. Rhea and Karma sat down right away, while Zoe and Keith took opposite positions standing at the edges of the room, and Ahri began to pace silently near the door. 

"So," Karma said, her voice low and grim, turning directly to Riven. "What brings you here?" 

 

"I wouldn't contact you if it wasn't something very important," Riven said firmly. "But if you don't mind a moment's more patience, I'd like for quick introductions?" 

"Very well," Karma agreed. "I am the Duchess Karma, elder of Navori, the southernmost reach of Ionia you just traveled through. I defended my holdings and the whole of Ionia during the Noxian occupation."

"You were a horror story among Noxian soldiers," Rhea observed softly. "The Dragon of Navori, some called you."

"I much prefer my proper title," Karma said dismissively, closing her eyes. Rhea stood, turning to Ahri.

"I am Rhea Scrowveil," she said, kindly; Riven glanced behind her to see Ahri paused, her tails whipping about curiously, watching Rhea quite intently. "I was born to a noble family in Noxus that saw fit to marry me away for power, and I chose to enlist in the military instead. Riven and I both fought in Ionia, though we never met, and when I returned home, my family had fled Noxus for their own foolish reasons. So technically I am the master of the estate." 

"What a way to come into power," Karma observed, bemused. 

"It seems to come so easily to those who least want it," Rhea agreed in acidic singsong. She gestured back to Zoe, Keith, and Vaughn. "I work for Vaughn's mercenary company, which I enjoy much more than staying in the capital being pretty," she continued. "The others have deferred leadership to Riven and I for the time being."

There was a pause. Riven realized there was almost no need to introduce herself - everyone knew her. But... 

"Ahri," Karma said softly. "Introduce yourself."

"O-Oh." Again, Riven looked back to Ahri, to see her fan out her tails but begin to fidget. "I - I'm Ahri," she began, smiling and looking around at them all. "I... I'm a friend of Karma's and Riven's, and I'm - I'm helping out to try to prevent war from happening." 

"A friend of Riven's," Rhea echoed with amusement. "That was a very friendly welcome to Ionia, indeed."

Ahri flushed and snapped her teeth, and the room responded with gentle laughter, but Ahri recoiled as though struck; Riven knew immediately she was reprimanding herself for the somewhat feral gesture, and her heart sank a bit. It was so adorably playful and - well, unique! It felt so Ahri! No one else minded it, or even really thought it strange, she was sure. She wondered how many other situations Ahri had been in where the only one imposing 'human' expectations on her was herself. And thinking about that, she realized, she hadn't really ever seen how other people treated Ahri at all. She'd only heard Ahri's own accounts. 

"Ahri, if you need to go out, that's fine," Karma added kindly. "I can fill you in." 

"No," Ahri said, suddenly very firm, clenching her fists. "I'm going to be a part of this, too!"

"As you wish." Karma turned her attention back to Riven. "That is out of the way, then. Riven, your note was more than a little cryptic, and I don't think this is simply a visit for the fun of it."

"No, I'm afraid not," Riven sighed, steeling herself. "What do you know about the Black Rose?" 

Karma straightened quite suddenly, her eyes growing wide, searching Riven's face very quickly - then turning to Ahri, who froze with apprehension. "The Black Rose," she repeated, slowly. "The spies and assassins of the Grand General, if memory serves?"

"There are rumors that they existed long before he came to power," Rhea said quietly. "Some even believe they were responsible for it." 

"A bold claim," Karma murmured. "What about them?" 

"Our client believes that they've sent an assassin to Ionia," Riven explained, her arms tightly folded. "They intend to target key political figures, and we think their end goal is provoking Ionia into declaring war on Noxus." 

 

Karma closed her eyes, and didn't say anything, only pinching the bridge of her nose. Ahri, meanwhile, turned to face Riven, bunching her hands over her chest. "They _want_ us to fight them?" the fox breathed, in horror.

"Yes," Riven confirmed. "We don't completely understand it either, but what's been happening on the mainland definitely lines up with it."

"If we declare war on them, rather than vice versa," Karma sighed, "the war is harder for the remaining represenatitives of the Institute of War to outlaw. They want to bait us into justifying another conflict for them, instead of forcing their hand like they did last time." 

"But - but if they do that, won't Demacia join in, too?" Ahri protested, looking between Riven and Karma frantically. "You and Irelia were talking about a joint effort - "

"Yeah," Riven agreed grimly, "I don't have any idea what the Grand General is thinking. If he thinks he can win a war against the two other greatest powers of Runeterra..."

"Perhaps the seat of the Grand General is cursed," Rhea said airily. "Any who sit on it go mad immediately. I don't know, and it doesn't rightly matter. The fact is, they're going to try to murder diplomats until Ionia gives in and declares war."

"Our priority for now is to prevent that from happening," Riven finished. 

Karma nodded, at last opening her eyes, letting her hand slide down her face. "This is much more complicated than you realize," she intoned. "I don't want to jump to conclusions just yet, but there are some rumors I must look into as soon as possible." 

"Don't be afraid to call upon us, as well," Riven said firmly. "Rhea's confident she can navigate the Elders, and Zoe is as talented an informant as you'll find. Vaughn, Keith, and I can work with whatever authorities you think are appropriate, or we can form our own independent investigation. It's just a matter of knowing what the climate is like here, and forming a plan around it." 

Karma briefly chewed her lip, staring through the floor. "Yes, you're right," she sighed, after a moment. "I don't have the attention to spare to guide you, so you will have to do at least some of your research on your own. But you should know that I have heard a rumor that the Ionian assassin Jhin, the Virtuoso, has been tracked coming towards the capital as well."

In her periphery, Riven saw Rhea stiffen, and behind the noble, Zoe's eyes narrowed. "You two are familiar with him?" Riven asked, surprised; Zoe's eyes closed entirely, and Rhea nodded grimly. 

"With his work, at least," Rhea muttered. "Fancies himself an 'artistic killer'. But from what I understood, he worked for at least some portion of the Ionian government, does he not?"

"That is not entirely clear," Karma sighed, "least of all now. We can't be certain that your client is referring to a different assassin, or a different group, nor can we be certain that the Black Rose is not somehow involved with Jhin's presence." She turned briskly, moving to stand by the door next. "However," she added more sharply, "there is little we can do about that tonight. In the morning, Rhea and I will prepare for the ceremony, and..."

"And I will get everyone else moving to find out whatever we can," Riven finished firmly. "Potential targets, potential contacts, potential suspects. The more we know, the better prepared we are to stop him before anyone dies."

Karma nodded, with satisfaction. "So, with that, I'm going to return to my own chambers." She turned to Ahri. "Ahri, will you be returning with me, or no?" 

"Oh," Ahri gasped. "Well... I-I thought maybe Riven and I could..." She glanced at Riven, who, caught off-guard, smiled a bit awkwardly back - this might seem like a sweet reunion to the others, but Ahri looked anything but excited. Riven's heart sank at the sight, and she began quickly changing focus. One thing at a time: tonight, Ahri, tomorrow, Jhin. 

"That's fine, of course," Rhea chuckled. "Go on, you two spend as much time as you like tonight. We'll worry about what comes next in the morning." Riven nodded to her, grateful for the reassurance. Rhea turned to Karma next, and approaching her at the door. "Thank you for accomodating us on such short notice," she added. "It's a huge relief to know that there are Ionians willing to cooperate with us, when the need arises."

"Just as much as to know that some Noxians would act out against this insanity," Karma agreed, faintly. "Have a good night, everyone." She waved to Ahri, so she and Riven followed her out. 

 

Karma led them back to her own building; at first, they walked in silence, but as they drew nearer the Duchess turned, looking between them with an expectant smile. Ahri didn't look anywhere near as cheerful. She hung on Riven's arm, but evaded both their gazes. It was hard for Riven to see. When she'd thought about Ahri before, she remembered how Ahri was so... bright, and cheerful, full of life and heart; like this, even though nothing seemed outwardly wrong with her, compared to before it felt like... well, like she was dying. Riven wondered if this is what she had looked like, when they'd first met, at least in some capacity. She wondered if that was still how she looked now.

In a way, though, she was glad. Before, she had been afraid of playing with Ahri - how had she thought of it? Something like... she was afraid that being with Ahri, indulging in Ahri's childlike innocence, because she would let go of her purpose. But now, seeing Ahri like this, she didn't think she would ever have that fear again. Ahri had always had a darkness inside her, a looming guilt and fear of her own hunger, and she wasn't playful and energetic because she had nothing grounding her - but because she wanted to value every experience she could get as a human - because she wanted to honor those that had sacrificed for her dream, by holding nothing back. 

"Well," Karma offered, "Ahri, what did you want to do when Riven got here?"

"I don't know, really," Ahri murmured; her arms curled a little tighter around Riven's, and Riven reached up to awkwardly stroke her hair. "I guess I wanted to talk about some stuff."

"I'm happy to listen," Riven said, encouragingly. "Karma, where's a good place for us to talk?" 

"You can talk anywhere, and any time," Karma said lowly, sounding rather... disappointed? "Ahri... weren't you so excited to see her before?" Ahri nodded faintly. 

"I feel silly about it now," Ahri mumbled. "I just thought we'd - well, I wanted to... spar with Riven, at some point, but it seems like a bad time..."

Riven remembered very vividly the night before they'd left Noxus - when Zoe had confronted her in the street, and insisted on fighting, right then and there, and she grinned. "Karma," she said, "do you have practice weapons we could borrow, maybe? We usually don't use practice weapons in Noxus, but - "

"I'm sure I have something lying around," Karma chuckled, as Ahri glanced up with knitted brows. "I'll find them. Will a bokken do fine for you, Riven?" Riven blinked, hurriedly trying to recall if she'd heard that word before - "A katana," Karma clarified, and Riven let out her breath in relief. 

"The largest you have," Riven said, "if that's alright."

"Certainly." She gestured behind her building. "You may use my sanctum - it's private and you won't disturb anyone. I normally use it to meditate, but I doubt I'll find the time to relax for a while yet." 

"Thank you very much, Duchess," Riven replied graciously. 

She led Ahri around back; when Karma had slipped inside, Ahri looked up at Riven apprehensively. "You want to fight?" Ahri breathed. "I - did not expect that, but you look very excited."

"You sounded excited about it, in your letter," Riven responded. "Weren't you? You told me to be prepared to spar with you, so I went and got all excited." She let her smile fade a little. "But if you don't feel up to it, we can do it later."

"I don't know," Ahri murmured. "I do better when I'm excited, and I'm not... tired, I guess, but..." 

She trailed off. Karma brought them out a small bundle of wooden weapons - handing Ahri a long pole with a swept curve on one end, which Riven agreed did resemble a naginata, and handing Riven a wooden katana nearly the same length. "We call this sort of sword a kitakaze daito," Karma explained, as Riven inspected it approvingly; it certainly wasn't as heavy as her runeblade, but it was nice to hold a weapon with reach to it, after so long without. "Or 'northern wind sword'. For most of us it's something of a novelty, rather than a real weapon, but you asked for the largest one I have."

"It's exactly what I wanted," Riven chuckled. "Thank you, Karma." 

There was a bit of a stilted pause afterward, as they both glanced at Ahri, who looked demurely between them, silently. "Well, have fun," Karma sighed briskly, and she left them alone again; Riven pushed herself to her feet, drawing the daito and gently waving it around, acclimating herself to its weight and balance. 

"When I'm upset about something," Riven explained, "sometimes a quick fight can help me work out some feelings." She turned back to smile at Ahri, offering her her free hand. 

"Alright," Ahri agreed, helping herself up. "Just... go easy on me."

"We can start slow until you warm up a bit." She didn't let go - they held hands, as they walked deeper into the sanctum; it felt more like an ornate garden than any kind of practice field, but Riven supposed that was fine for Ionians. Presentation and beauty was a part of who they were; anything familiar from Noxus would feel out of place at best here. 

They found a wide clearing of white sand, sprawling between hills and short trees, raked into patterns like ripples or currents emanating from boulders placed far apart from each other. Ahri paused as they approached it, but sighed deeply when she realized Riven had already stepped into it. "What?" Riven asked, perplexed, but then she gasped and looked down at it. "Oh. Wait. Am I not supposed to walk here?"

"I guess it doesn't really matter," Ahri laughed softly, hopping into it herself. "Karma did say we could use it, right? She can fix it." 

"It looked like a nice place to fight," Riven protested. "It's flat and soft sand, so falling down doesn't hurt! I just assumed that was what it was for!" 

"That's not what it's for," Ahri giggled. "But you're right, it does seem good for that!" 

They stood opposite each other, for a few quiet moments - Ahri shifting her feet apart, nudging herself into a ready stance, holding her naginata with its shaft to her side and angled downward, and Riven drew her daito and held it similarly, edged side pointed outward at Ahri and the blade overall angled down, with her hands high above her head. Ahri regarded her curiously. "You've used that before," Ahri observed.

"I trained with a lot of weapons, when I was first enlisted," Riven replied smugly. "This thing's huge, but I've used normal sized katana before. Come hit me first."

"Rude." Ahri huffed. "You'll just counter me."

"I mean, I guess I could just let you hit me?" Riven raised her eyebrows. "I didn't mean to start _that_ slow. At least let me defend myself. Or do you want me to hit you first?" 

"If you even can," Ahri purred. Riven smirked, glad to see her energy returning. 

 

She stepped forward, allowing Ahri to see the lunge happening - and struck from overhead. It was an absurdly easy attack to deflect, but she had no intent of trying to hit Ahri right away; she wanted to understand Ahri's strength and confidence. If her intent was to help Ahri's confidence and energy, it wouldn't do any good to pound her into submission just because she was inexperienced. But even though she was just trying to gauge Ahri, and not making any assumptions - she was still caught quite thoroughly off guard by Ahri's response; she caught the attack on the shaft of her blade, knocked it aside, and lunged in for the counter, all within a single swift movement. Riven's resulting sidestep was sloppy. 

"You're going to coddle me too?!" Ahri whined, twirling her naginata and pouting - before lunging again, and again - and again! Riven reeled, parrying two and stumbling backwards away from the third, but Ahri dashed forward with another little huff, striking relentlessly. But Riven found it easy to block; she was used to the weight of the runeblade, which was more effective as a shield than it was for actually parrying attacks. "Do you think I'd fight you - if I didn't have confidence I could beat you?!" 

"I just wanted to get a feel for how strong you are!" Riven laughed, watching the point of the naginata carefully; Ahri was attacking repetitively, thrusting and receding, timing her forward motions along with her attacks, pushing Riven back. They were meant to pressure Riven into giving up ground and limiting her options, but not to actually hit her. In a way, Riven supposed she was being tested in return, and the thought of it thrilled her a little. 

She reached out with her off hand and knocked Ahri's next attack aside with her forearm - blocking it the way you might a punch; even a fully bladed naginata's handle was easy to deflect this way, she knew from experience. Ahri yelped as she realized the vulnerability immediately - Riven brought the daito crashing down in a devastating downward strike, but Ahri narrowly backed out of the way in time. This time, Riven knew that Ahri would want to continue using her speed to her advantage - so she brought her weapon up to the ready, but waited, and sure enough Ahri dashed forward to continue her assault. Riven tried to catch her attack on the flat of her blade, turning her momentum aside so she could counterattack again immediately, but Ahri chose to just rush past her instead of wasting that movement, and rather than allow Ahri a chance to pick another opening to strike, Riven chose to lunge sideways to chase her - closing the distance and sweeping the daito down this time in a diagonal arc, forcing Ahri to concede momentum to Riven, and Riven danced into the negative space, denying her a chance to recover. 

But Ahri vaulted over Riven's next attack, and swirled the naginata in a wide sweep, which Riven could only narrowly block. The fox landed on the opposite side with her desired distance, and when Riven dashed forward to catch up, Ahri was already prepared, lunging past her attack and twirling the weapon in her fingers as she switched directions, striking at Riven as she turned around. Riven couldn't continue to press forward aggressively, she had to back away, but she swiped the daito along the sand as she did, kicking up a cloud that stopped Ahri from advancing on her. 

But Ahri yelped and began to hack and cough, and as the sand fell to the ground again, Riven saw her flapping her arms frantically to clear the sand from her robes. "Rude!" she snapped. "How dare you! You've made a mess of my clothes!"

Riven laughed, flourishing her blade and standing firm. "You've got to use everything you've got to your advantage!" she declared loudly. 

Ahri bristled. "Darius told me that, too," she growled. "On the March. He thought I had charmed you and stole your coat." 

"That would've been a good idea," Riven admitted, chuckling. "I guess I'm a competitive person. We're not doing this to win, are we?" 

Ahri shifted back and forth on her heels, spinning the nagnata idly, passing it back and forth between her hands now. "I do feel better already," she admitted after a moment's thought, smiling earnestly. "But you surprised me, Riven. My instructor and friends are very strong, but they don't fight anything like you."

"I've never fought anyone like you either," Riven agreed. "It's fascinating. Is it a traditional Ionian style?"

"Oh, no," Ahri giggled. "My instructor tried to adapt to my strengths. She says I'm so fast, I make a lot of techniques meant for performance viable in real combat."

"You are definitely very fast. But something's missing." Riven stabbed the blade into the sand, folding her arms. "You're stronger than this, aren't you?"

Ahri blinked. "What do you mean?" 

"You fought Darius without a weapon, on the March," Riven continued. "How?"

"Oh, you know about my foxfire!" Ahri grinned, wreathing a free hand in glimmering energy, rippling upward like flame. 

"Yeah!" Riven smiled too. Ahri's energy was contagious! "Not to say that we have to be fighting for keeps or anything, but I think you should try mixing all of your abilities together. It's like I said - and I think what Darius kind of meant." 

"How do you mean?"

"Well, the Noxian ideal is to be the strongest you can be, right?" Riven lifted the blade again, holding it loosely ready. "You're having fun," she continued. "And you're really good, for how little training you have. So maybe this is something worth trying to be the best at. And for you, that means you need to use every skill you've got to your advantage, in any little way you can." 

But Ahri's smile faded, her expression darkening. "I... but..." 

"But?" Riven blinked, straightening a little in surprise. "What's wrong?"

"My other powers are..." Ahri frowned, withdrawing. "Not - human," she finished, weakly. "I don't know. It's silly, maybe, but..."

"They aren't," Riven agreed, "but that's a part of who you are, Ahri. And it's beautiful, and strong. If you don't want to use them, that's up to you, but I don't think you need to shy away from them either." 

Ahri looked away. Tentatively, Riven chose to approach, still holding the daito loosely; Ahri closed her eyes and flattened her ears, but didn't move, and Riven gently wrapped her arms aroun. her.

"I was really upset, when I read your letter," Riven sighed. "All you wanted in life was to be human, right?"

"I wanted to belong," Ahri muttered. "I wanted to be a part of this world, a real part, rather than just... some creature living and dying in the background that no one would remember. And I guess now, I _am_ a part of it, no matter what I am."

"Yeah," Riven agreed, reaching up to gently stroke through Ahri's hair - though when her fingers approached Ahri's ear, the girl whimpered a little and pressed closer, and Riven wound up gently rubbing the furred base, while Ahri leaned into her chest and purred quietly. Riven wanted to say something - she desperately searched for the words to express what she felt just then, the warmth and pride and love for this beautiful creature, that had risen from nothing to greatness, just like her - and the sympathy for the feeling that that meaning in her life was going away. 

But it wasn't gone. She was still meaningful. Riven longed for the words to say that, to make Ahri believe it. To demonstrate that the thing that Ahri was - even if it wasn't what she wanted - was just as wonderful. Maybe even better. But words were not what Riven was best at.

Riven's best skill was fighting. 

"Ahri," she whispered, her voice a bit huskier than before, leaning down to speak into Ahri's ear. Ahri's open hand clutched at Riven's clothes a bit tighter. "I'd like you to try to use all of your power against me." 

Ahri nodded faintly into her shoulder. "Alright." 

"It'll be fun," Riven promised. "I'll go all out, too, if you want." 

"You'd better." Ahri looked up - Riven gasped, her eyes were so big, so gold and bright, captivating, like the full harvest moon high above a Noxian plain, and Riven could feel the chilling breeze that came along with it, and Ahri was so warm - "You'd better," Ahri repeated, her voice growing smug, "or else you will die." 

Electricity pulsed through Riven's heart and a thrill rose the hair on her nape. _Ahri had charmed her._

Ahri grinned toothily, her pupils narrowing menacingly, and she brought up her free hand now cloaked in fire - but Riven pulled back, fighting the artificial longing and despair in her heart with the total excitement that Ahri had accepted her challenge - she jumped fully backwards, readying the daito again, as Ahri flourished with her naginata. This time, Riven watched her very carefully, and Ahri glared back; they began to circle each other, eying their movements, their terrain, looking for where to start - how to gain an advantage, and how to push it. Riven could not help but smile. 

Ahri moved first - which Riven had expected, and even wanted. The girl dashed forward and thrust her naginata, a swift but paltry attack that Riven batted aside, but as she tried to lunge in to punish the movement, Ahri dashed backwards just as easily, twirling around - over her shoulder, her free hand emitted a pulse of white-violet fire that Riven had to hastily sidestep, and in that moment of distraction Ahri had changed directions again and was now bringing the whole naginata down in an overhead smash. Riven blocked it - Ahri's physical strength was not great enough to strain Riven, and the exile pushed her away and lunged forward again. 

Her heart raced as she hammered away at Ahri's defenses - she blocked and pranced backwards, carefully and with precision at first but growing increasingly desperate as they went. Eventually Ahri had to dash fully away, and Riven wasn't fast enough to keep up - but she noticed with a swell of prideful delight that as Ahri turned to face Riven again, the curved blade of her naginata had dipped into the sand. _Yes, Ahri! Use my techniques against me!_ Gods, Ahri was so smart, she had such a talent for this! Respecting the threat of the smokescreen, Riven stayed back, bringing the daito up to cross her body defensively. 

They had returned to neutral. 

Ahri began to pace restlessly, each of her footsteps creating little puffs of sand, dragging her naginata back and forth without lifting it. Riven winced, stepping back a bit. She intended to use the sand somehow, didn't she? That meant - no, suddenly, Ahri whirled the weapon in her hands, an upward sweep, as if trying to launch the sand at Riven; but as she did, a pulse of flame burst from the weapon and the ground, rocketing through the earth at Riven - a shockwave! It grew in width as it advanced, and Riven couldn't dodge out of the way. She had to push through it, or knock it aside. She chose to do both.

She lunged forward into it, sweeping her blade through with a shout; energy surrounded her and her weapon, as it always had since she had fought as a girl, a power it took her a while to realize other people didn't have - the air coalesced around her strike, and the fire dissipated in its wake; on the other side she caught Ahri's jaw-dropped expression of alarm, and Riven grinned as she mimicked Ahri's attack - dragging her weapon through the sand and willing her spirit to lift the sand along with it for an extended strike. It echoed forward, like a huge breaking wave, but Ahri vaulted up out of it, and landed above Riven in the grass. She couldn't let Ahri hold the high ground - so she sprinted forward, watching Ahri for how she chose to defend herself - she crossed the naginata protectively over herself, it left both sides protected but only from the front, so Riven again scooped the sand out and created a wall with it that quickly fell back into its pit - and behind its veil, she swept to the side, but Ahri understood the trick immediately and had moved, too, and Riven lost sight of her --

And then she was lunging from where Riven had come from, and Riven only narrowly parried a thrust to her ribs, without the time to strike back; Ahri rushed by her, carrying her momentum forward, and she planted the naginata in the ground, leaping up and twisting it and her body - changing direction midair, somehow, her tails flaring as she whirled to face Riven and launch another bolt of fire, and as Riven ducked away from it Ahri streaked forward, pulling her spear out of the ground and slicing broadly, then thrusting, then very suddenly she stopped and vaulted back - Riven didn't advance into the gap, Ahri had so many ways to punish that movement now - sure enough, predicting Riven to move forward, Ahri swept the naginata over her head and smashed it into the ground, sending a pulse of fire forward that even still nearly caught Riven before it faded. 

But Ahri paused - Riven realized she was panting - and Riven darted in, slicing wide and horizontally, forcing Ahri to parry, and Riven carried _her_ momentum to Ahri's side and whirled around, attacking this time from the other direction, trying to knock the naginata out of Ahri's hands. Ahri twirled out of Riven's reach and her eyes flashed as they locked with Riven's - the world seemed to pulse, and Riven felt warm and dizzy, and she cheered in her heart, celebrating Ahri's aggressive use of her charms - as she backed away hastily, only narrowly avoiding Ahri's vicious followup. The fox's hands were wreathed in fire now, and all else felt like a pitch-black void compared to the brightness of that flame and Ahri's eyes. Nothing existed except the two of them, and their displays of power - Riven's to inspire, and Ahri's, to accept. 

Their dance grew increasingly frenetic; Ahri grew only faster and more bold, using the terrain to change direction more easily and allowing her to move even quicker, and she began to attack from the air almost as much as the ground, swirling or stabbing or firing bolts of energy, but Riven's spirit refused to be outdone. She began to bat aside Ahri's energy unless the girl concentrated it more densely, and her attacks grew in range as the air swept and sliced along with her movements. With each strike, a tree branch fell, or severed grass would kick up into a whirlwind, matching the pale scorchmarks Ahri left in their wake. 

When the advantage came, it was all at once. Ahri had vaulted up for an aerial attack, but delayed her strike until she was nearly behind Riven, and Riven's defense was awkward and hurried - but in Ahri's desperation to push that opening, she lunged past Riven and then tried to pivot, and Riven caught the shaft of the naginata mid-turn and slammed it out of Ahri's hands entirely. Certain that she had won, Riven lunged, reaching out to grab the hem of Ahri's robe - but Ahri snatched Riven's hands, and carried her to the ground in a throw that knocked the breath out of her, and as she tried to recover, realizing the daito had left her hands, Ahri jumped down onto her - and kissed her. 

Riven didn't know - or care - whether Ahri realized how hard she was pulling now. She wasn't going to get Riven's soul, whether she wanted it or not! She grabbed Ahri's robes with both hands and pulled her deeper into it with a daring huff, and Ahri propped herself on one elbow to maintain balance, denying Riven's initial attempt to roll them over. Riven grabbed at her shoulder, trying to upset that balance, and Ahri pulled back to try to pin her - but Riven was able to shove upwards and knock Ahri back, reversing their positions, if only for a moment. Instead of letting herself fall, Ahri rolled to her feet, pulling Riven forcefully up by her wrist and slamming her into a nearby tree, kissing her with renewed fervor. 

Not to be outdone, Riven grabbed at Ahri's hips next, pulling at her robes, trying to pull the chestpiece off; Ahri tried to snatch up Riven's spare hand to pin it as well, but instead Riven was able to seize her wrist and twist her arm back, threatening to dislocate her shoulder - Ahri gasped in pain and pulled back, wincing, and Riven was able to dive onto her neck instead, pushing her back until she stumbled and fell onto the grass again, and Riven pounced with her knees on either side of Ahri's hips, pinning her wrists to the ground. But Ahri's legs snapped up and wormed themselves lithely under Riven's arms, and then pulled back - Riven was thrown backwards and Ahri easily pounced to her feet again. 

When Riven rose, Ahri was already lunging, and this time she clamped her teeth around Riven's neck, just shy of painfully; a pulse of heat rocked her spine and Riven moaned, her back arching, as Ahri easily pinned her to the ground again, giggling menacingly and hovering over her. Not nearly as agile as Ahri, Riven could only rely on her brute strength to escape - but that was gone, too, as Ahri set her eyes on Riven's, and Riven's whole being was swallowed by that golden luminescence, a moonlit night Riven wished to lose herself in forever, but they also represented a fight against a worthy and beautiful opponent Riven hoped would never end, and she snapped her teeth in defiance, and again Ahri laughed. 

"Let me kiss you," Ahri whispered sweetly. Riven's chest burned and her spine tingled. Oh she wanted to let her! She wanted Ahri's lips and tongue and she wanted Ahri's teeth on her neck and - but she wanted to do those things _back_ to her too, and she thrashed and growled "No!" 

"Aww." Ahri tilted her head. "Not even a little bit?" 

"Me first," Riven hissed, grinning wickedly. 

"Now now," Ahri purred, shoving Riven's wrists down and pressing a knee quite hard between Riven's legs, making her gasp and squirm; "you aren't in charge, Exile. You're _mine._ " 

"You sure about that?" Riven panted, trying to draw up her legs, to put her feet on the ground - she felt Ahri's tails wrapping around them, tickling them, trying to make them buckle and shiver, but she denied it. "Maybe you're mine," she finished in a playful snarl, and Ahri giggled as she leaned down to press her forehead on Riven's - 

But that was a mistake. She'd upset her balance. With all her might, Riven hurled her right side upward, and Ahri yelped, not realizing how much strength Riven could summon with her shoulder and feet. Now pinning Ahri, Riven promised herself no diversions, no taunting, no openings - she let go of Ahri's hands immediately and tore the girl's chestpiece away, kissing wetly at the space between her breasts and clenching her fingers around them, reveling in the sound of Ahri's hissing breath - the implicit surrender in clutching at Riven's hair and shoulders, willing her to stay. She pulled back just enough to let her lips around one of Ahri's nipples, circling the areola teasingly with her tongue; Ahri whimpered and clenched her fingers tighter. _Who's whose now!?_

When she pulled down Ahri's skirt, Ahri kicked it off agreeably, and Riven trailed kisses down her stomach to indulge her; she had missed every bit of this, Ahri's sweet trembling, the lightly bitter taste of her desire, Ahri's little hands gripping at her hair and her tails waving about restlessly, curling around anything they found - she pushed in further, clutching Ahri's thighs and feeling her arch her back, feeling her breath catch and her whole body shiver - divine. It was such power, to have someone so perfect in your arms, and to drive them to bliss. Riven couldn't get enough of it. 

"More," Ahri pleaded, and Riven obliged - Ahri's legs snapped up, and she writhed on the ground, moaning sharply. "Yes," the fox gasped, "yes, there! Oh gods Riven!" She spasmed and her hands suddenly disappeared - Riven knew her to grip the sheets, and the image of it made her grin, but she suppressed it just long enough to feel Ahri's climax; only when Ahri's breath came out all at once, and her squirming resumed but weakened - only then did she pull away. 

But when she looked up to survey her treasure - Ahri lunged, and pinned her back. 

"You thought you won, huh," Ahri panted, grinning, fatigue in her eyes - but not anywhere near enough. 

"I'm happy calling it a draw," Riven offered, smiling impishly. 

"A draw," Ahri repeated, leaning down into her neck. "So be it."


	10. Chapter 10

Riven had expected jeering or catcalling from at least the boys when she returned from her 'sparring' with Ahri - or, failing that, in the morning - but she received none. Everyone but Zoe was asleep, and Zoe was waiting silently beside the front door, inside. As Riven entered, Zoe nodded to her without a word, and then they went to their separate rooms. And the following morning, though there was chatter, it was - muted, and quiet. Tense. 

Karma and Ahri arrived shortly into breakfast, before Riven felt comfortable enough - or awake enough - to try to lift the mood. Karma carried a heavy enough aura of her own that she fit right in, but Ahri - gods. Sweet, blissful, adorable Ahri leaned back against the door and swayed her hips and her tails back and forth happily, watching everyone with bright golden eyes and a cheerful smile. Though the night before had left them both exhausted, the fox's mood had improved considerably, and to see that it had persisted through the night lightened Riven's heart. 

Still: they were here on business. Reluctantly, she tore her eyes away from Ahri's sunny gaze, and stood, addressing the room silently; attention turned to her in short order. "In keeping with our plan from last night," she began, "we need to focus on understanding the situation here as quickly as possible, but we also need to be ready to take action on a moment's notice if our target is already several steps ahead of us. So let's discuss how we're going to do that."

Firstly, she turned to Karma and Rhea, who were sitting beside one another; Karma wore ornate robes not unlike the ones from yesterday, but Rhea had brought along ceremonial armor, a black-and-red artpiece of scaled mail and buckles, made purely for presentation and not for protection. Riven liked the choice, though there was some concern that it would come across strangely to the Ionians. "You two will be busy today with the opening ceremony, right?" 

"Yes," Karma agreed. "There is much to prepare for. Rhea will not be spared tradition simply because she is a foreign dignitary." Rhea raised her eyebrows, out of Karma's sight, but didn't comment; Riven smirked to herself and said nothing as well. "This evening, session will begin, and from then on we will be busy debating throughout most of each day, until the summit concludes."

"But," Rhea added, "we will still be able to gather information from within the meeting, no?" 

"It will be difficult to relay anything until recess," Karma replied, "but yes."

"Good." Riven nodded, and turned to Vaughn and Keith. Vaughn had a bit of a lopsided smile on his face, as Keith turned and looked up rather surprised. "Goofing off?" Riven asked, faux-disdainfully. 

"No," Keith muttered.

"Always," Vaughn chortled. 

"We have eyes at the highest level of Ionian government," Riven continued, gesturing to Rhea, "and I'd like to cover the other extreme. You two go to the valley city we passed on our way in - see what you can find out down there, about strange people moving through the area, but also about public perception of those participating with the summit. If we have to get out in a hurry, having some kind of path or safehouse prepared in the valley wouldn't hurt, either." She nodded to Keith, her smirk returning. "Keith, since you're only _questionably_ Noxian, you do all the talking."

Keith had started to protest - but his eyes grew wide, and he nodded hastily. "Yes, of course," he gasped. Riven wondered where he was actually from, but for now, it wasn't really relevant. She was just pleased to have known that little trivia about him. It made things so much easier. And judging by the relieved smile on Keith's face, he seemed to recognize that, too. 

"Zoe," Riven continued, turning her attention to the youngest - she was leaning on the wall beside the stairs, out of the way but able to watch the proceedings clearly, glowering from under her bangs. "You're someone I can count on to notice things that the rest of us will miss, without being noticed yourself. I want you to be learning your way around the city. Jhin has to have contacts here, and he has to have a way into the complex, if he intends to kill anyone here. You need to find it so we can be there before he is." Zoe nodded her agreement, curt and silent. 

Riven turned lastly to Ahri, who perked up and beamed, delighted to have a job to do; Riven could not help but smile at her. "Ahri," Riven said softly, "with your agility and speed, and your established relationship with Karma, you can get in and out of the complex and down to the valley very quickly. That makes you a fantastic messenger. I want you to be in charge of keeping the three groups in sync. For now, go with Zoe and help her get around."

"Yes, ma'am," Ahri chirped. Riven caught the eldest three in the room smiling, in their own various degrees - but she paid them no mind for now. Ahri certainly did not seem to care, continuing to sway in place with delight. 

"What about you?" Rhea asked after a moment, bemusedly. "Don't tell me you intend to take a day off?"

"Of course not," Riven muttered. "I'm not much use as a spy, and I don't feel comfortable just wandering around the capital anyway. So I'd like to be your bodyguard, Rhea - for your safety, of course, but also for Karma's, and for having someone that can react if something does happen before we expect it to."

"Ah, very good," Rhea chuckled, sitting back a little. Karma, however, raised one eyebrow and covered her lips, as though stifling a laugh. 

"With that shattered sword of yours?" she murmured, inclining her head; Riven flushed and rolled her eyes. 

"It's a very good weapon, thank you very much," she hissed. 

"I don't doubt that," Karma agreed. "But I think if you're to be seen protecting Lady Scrowveil, let alone myself, you would do well to bear something a bit more noble than that."

"You sound as though you have something in mind," Rhea mused. Karma didn't reply, but she smiled a little more deeply, her eyes glittering. Riven hesitated, feeling somewhat anxious at Karma's use of the word 'noble', but the Duchess seemed fit to leave it at that.

"I think that about covers it, then," Riven concluded. "We'll reconvene tonight after recess."

 

Karma led the Rhea and Riven swiftly back to her own private quarters; in the daylight, Riven could now see that it resembled a great tree's trunk, and atop its second floor were planted numerous twisted trees that curled together and completed the illusion quite nicely. The Duchess instructed them to wait outside as she ducked in - and within moments, she returned, bearing a thin but _very_ long cloth-laden bundle, at which Riven's eyes widened.

"Wait, you were being serious?" Riven blinked and looked up at her, shocked. "You're giving me - this?"

Sure enough, Karma handed it to her, gingerly. "Don't fret too much," she chuckled. "I don't rightly remember where I even got it. As I told you last night, to most of us, these weapons are just novelties, but I did see a bit of your technique last night with Ahri, and - "

Against her will, Riven squeaked, briefly misinterpreted this - and she turned away and clutched the bundled weapon close, eager to hide her reddening face behind it. "Sorry, nothing," she called airily, before either of the other women could react. "What was that?" 

"Goodness gracious." Rhea's lofty teasing voice alone brought a little shiver to Riven's spine. "What on earth did the two of you get up to last night?" 

"Ah yes," Karma continued coyly, "I forgot, you were likely using certain other techniques, as well." 

"S-So anyway, you were giving me a sword," Riven offered, sheepishly, stepping back a bit. 

"Yes." Karma cleared her throat delicately, turning to face Riven more directly. "Consider it... my thanks, for your friendship with Ahri." 

Riven paused, exposing herself from behind the weapon. "I... what do you mean?"

"Ahri is so much happier that you are here." Something - changed, in Karma's face, her eyes softening and seeming to cave in, a glimmer at their corners... "She deserves so much better than what she has. But you've brought her some very real happiness, and... I want to thank you for that."

Riven didn't know what to say. It was like she was meeting Ahri's parents. In fact... she supposed, in a way, she was. Karma was the closest thing to a guardian that Ahri had... She clutched the bundle a little tighter, straightening, and nodded somberly. "I'm glad that you feel that way," she managed, after a moment. "She's... done a lot for me, too." 

Karma sighed, gently and with relief. "I'm glad to have your help," she said, under her breath. "Both of you," she added to Rhea. "And your friends. If ever there were a time to prove that peace can be forged between our nations... this is it, here and now, you and I." 

"I'm thrilled to be a part of it," Rhea replied gracefully - rescuing Riven from having no idea how to respond. "And as such - I don't want to dally," she added playfully. "Where might we be going?"

"Yes, yes," Karma laughed, "please forgive me. Follow closely." 

 

Zoe did not say anything, as Ahri followed her out of the complex and down the Ascent - she nodded when Ahri tried to greet her, to initiate a conversation, but didn't say anything more, and Ahri wondered if she'd done something wrong, because focusing and remembering was very hard now and it would be easy to do something wrong and forget, but she was just going to have to do her best with what she had right now, she refused to be outdone and she refused to give in to fate; she had her little notebook and pencil so she could write down notes and do her job well, and she was excited to do even that little task that Riven had set out for her, to do her own part, because that was what humans did: their own little part, of a much greater whole. 

So she didn't mind that Zoe didn't talk at first, she just made her way into an alley, picking among crates and walls looking for a place to climb up, but Ahri saw somewhere right away and jumped right up onto the roof, and she turned to taunt Zoe playfully for fun but Zoe was already following her - she was such a good climber, Ahri gasped as she vaulted the last ledge, and she caught a little smile on the girl's lips, and she said, "Don't underestimate me, fox." 

Ahri thought about protesting that and saying that she was human but she supposed it was fairly obvious that she wasn't and that was okay, no need to pretend to be something she wasn't, there was no time for any of that anymore. 

"Try to keep up, human," Ahri taunted instead, and she sprinted and vaulted over the next alley - easily clearing the distance between buildings, but sure enough so did Zoe, and she giggled and made to run for the next one, but Zoe stopped and glanced out at the Ascent, and Ahri remembered that they actually had a job to do, so she hesitated too, her tails swishing around playfully because she was excited for no reason. 

"Whatcha looking for?" Ahri asked happily, when Zoe didn't move for a bit, but Zoe bristled with annoyance.

"A place for someone to get in," the girl said darkly. "Like Riven asked."

"Well, how would we find something like that?" Ahri began, starting to sway her hips, so far that she had to lift her legs on each one. 

"With our eyes," Zoe snorted. 

"You think so?" Ahri knew she was being made fun of but refused to acknowledge it. "Maybe we can smell one." She took a big exaggerated sniff and --

...Wait.

She sniffed again, smelling something curious and familiar and strange, and as she did Zoe turned around with a look of half disgust, half amazement, which made Ahri want to giggle a little, but this scent had a memory attached to it that was very not funny, and she hesitated as she realized that Zoe was watching her expectantly now. "Sorry," Ahri mumbled. "Smelled something - "

"Yeah?" Zoe didn't sound mocking anymore. "What?" 

"Someone," Ahri clarified, sniffing again, as if she had to try to confirm it, but it was not exactly a common or mistakeable scent; it was the scent of autumn mornings and winter's chill, of summer breeze and a spring-time rainstorm, but the man who had smelled like it said it was simply the scent of the wind, and smelling it now, Ahri definitely understood that. "I don't know why he is here," Ahri continued, with concern. "He is - he said he could not be seen, or there would be trouble." 

"Who?" Zoe's eyebrows had lifted now. "Or is being cryptic just an Ionian thing?"

"Oh! Sorry!" Ahri gasped. "I'm - a little sick. It's hard to focus." She tried to focus on that memory, and closed her eyes so that the world wouldn't go all funny like it had when she had been talking to Wukong; she could smell the windy scent and she could see him, and remember his name, Yasuo - a spry and well-muscled man with his hair tied back, floating and bobbing behind him as he moved, she remembered his graceful movements and serene stillness, but also an aura of will as though barely restrained, and Ahri thought now she must have been feeling his soul, and she realized she was just saying all of this out loud and turned red and looked away. "Sorry, again," she mumbled. 

"His soul?" Zoe sounded very interested now. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing," Ahri whimpered. "Please don't ask."

To her shock, though, Zoe just shrugged and nodded. "Show me," she instructed instead. "If he's not supposed to be here, let's follow him." 

Ahri nodded, she supposed that sounded kind of fun, so she delicately led Zoe in the direction of the windy scent, though it really could be anywhere, and she decided she ought to warn Zoe about that, so she did, and Zoe shrugged and said they should probably hurry then, so Ahri tried to pick up the pace - but she glanced back nervously, worried she might leave Zoe behind, but Zoe had drawn a couple of daggers and was scraping them against each other, and when they sparked she lunged forward all at once - no, she... surged, like lightning, a little teleport, and that made it very easy for her to keep up, so Ahri felt free to move as quickly as she liked, and Zoe followed along, and soon enough they were running across the rooftops of the Ionian capital together, and Ahri had not run through a city like this before, and she enjoyed it very much, there weren't twigs scraping along your skin or weak branches that couldn't hold your weight, so she could just run very fast. 

The windy scent took them all around the city, but Ahri was not very surprised by that, and she mostly just followed it because it was a fun trail to follow, but after a little while it seemed to settle in one place, so she stopped and Zoe stopped behind her - she heard Zoe panting, very quietly, but she also realized she was panting too, so she hunched down to try to be less visible and Zoe poked her head over a the edge of the roof so she could look down into the square. "What's he look like, again?" Zoe asked, under her breath, and then Ahri remembered that they were looking for Yasuo, so she described him as best she could remember, though that wasn't very well, but Zoe grabbed Ahri's sleeve right away anyway, and guided her to look - 

They were in another plaza but this one was much further down the mountainside, near the gates, and Yasuo was wandering between stalls selling produce and crops, but he had let his hair down and wore a hood, but it kept waving around in a little wind anyway, but even so she thought it was very impressive that Zoe had been able to find him, let alone so fast! 

"Oh, he must be hungry," Ahri lamented, because he had been when they had met the first time. "Do you think we should get him food?"

"What?" Zoe glared at her, exasperated. "No, we should watch him, and see if he goes anywhere strange."

"I don't think he's involved in any of this," Ahri protested, but she realized she had been loud before so this time she tried to be more quiet. "I just thought it would be fun to see him." 

"Fun to see him," Zoe replied, in deadpan. Ahri stared at her blankly. "You're just going to introduce me?"

"If you want," Ahri murmured, a bit hurt, because she felt like she wasn't getting something. "But if not, then..."

Zoe groaned. "Are you always like this?!"

For a moment, Ahri still didn't know what she was talking about - but then she remembered, and recoiled and sombered and looked away, gosh, what was even wrong with her, that she was just - she didn't really forget, so much as she just didn't... put it together, and she sighed and mumbled, "No, I'm not." 

There was an awkward pause; when Ahri looked up, Zoe had shifted to lean into a shadow a bit, watching Yasuo sidelong with a tense expression on her face, though her eyes were softer than before. 

"Sick, right," Zoe murmured, without looking at Ahri, and Ahri nodded faintly, and somehow Zoe saw it. "I think I get it now."

"What?" Ahri gasped. "Get what?"

"Why Riven was so worried the whole way here." Zoe tossed her hair. "I don't know what's wrong with you, exactly, but she was obviously scared for you." 

Ahri felt her heart sink, even though it felt... really nice, to think that Riven had been sad and worried about her, but at the same time she didn't actually want Riven to worry, especially not so much that she worried her friends in turn, but then Ahri supposed she was... very, very sick. "I'm sorry," Ahri murmured, her tails now laying completely limp, which was probably best so that they were less visible.

"Huh? Why?" Zoe glanced over, but only very briefly. "You're fighting it, aren't you? Don't apologize unless you're going to give up."

Ahri could not fully understand what went through her head next; it was deep, and unsettling, and she felt very cold and weak, but even so the question that rose to her lips would not be denied, and she had to ask it. 

"What if you had to kill someone to get better?" 

Zoe snorted, now without looking, her gaze fixed on Yasuo. "What kind of question is that?" Ahri didn't answer, and Zoe very briefly flicked her eyes over to Ahri. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Forget I said anything," Ahri mumbled. 

"Help us find the assassin." A little smile came to Zoe's lips. "And when we do, you can answer that question yourself." She nodded forward. "He's moving. Let's follow him." 

Ahri nodded a little morosely, and as Zoe resumed their leaping-between-buildings game, Ahri followed along, trying to bear in mind that they were doing something serious and that it was important that she keep up and try to help out, or else a lot of people might die, but it still just felt so far away like it didn't matter, and in a way it reminded Ahri of when she was a fox, or when her body was still very new, she felt so distant from the world she wished to be a part of, and - 

No! She was getting distracted! She shook her head and redoubled her focus, this time just trying to keep her eyes on Zoe, and trusting Zoe to follow Yasuo - but presently Zoe hesitated, cautiously peeking over a railing and scanning a courtyard, and Ahri wondered if -

"I can't have lost him already," the girl muttered angrily. "Where did he...?"

Aha, now maybe Ahri could help, she sidled up next to her and peeked her head over too, but they had found a much more major road and it was much more crowded and without his big poofy hair it was much harder to pick him out, but Ahri could still distantly smell him, and could tell that he was here somewhere, and she thought maybe if she - yes, that was a good idea, so she turned to Zoe: 

"If I follow him on the ground, I can keep up better," Ahri offered, "and you can just follow me instead, since I'm more obvious." 

Zoe stared at her openly, and Ahri withered and wondered if she had said something stupid again and didn't realize it, but after a moment Zoe closed her eyes and shook her head and said "Yeah, that's smart, just don't get distracted."

Ahri nodded firmly, though she honestly didn't know how she was going to avoid that, but she was going to do her best no matter what. She carefully vaulted over the railing off to the side, dropping down into an alley, and forged her way into the crowd immediately - following her nose, which led her a bit north, and the crowd was thinner there, so maybe when she broke through she would be able to see him; except as she started to push that way, the crowd began to disperse immediately, and Ahri looked around a bit startled, and realized that... everyone was staring at her... why? She wasn't that unusual, and she'd walked through the city before with no more than a few weird looks, but - 

No. Distracted. She had an opening now, so she lunged forward through the crowd, pushing their gaping wide-eyed expressions out of her mind as best she could, she had to find Yasuo right now, so she could follow him and figure out - what, exactly? Why even were they - But it didn't matter, she had a job to do and she was going to try to do it the best she could, but she couldn't see him ahead, she just saw people turning to face her with alarm, and people behind her were shouting something; maybe something had happened, so she turned around again trying to see what she had missed. 

The voices blended together; there were only a few, but they were shouting behind, calling for someone, raising hands. Getting their attention. She had seen this before. Their cries tangled, but there was one word in common, a word Ahri hadn't heard in years, she hadn't heard it since last time this had happened - in a smaller town, in a smaller place, to a very sick and scared Ahri, far away at the end of hope. 

_Kijo. Kijo is here._

Enchantress. Sorcerer. Demon. They were calling guards on her. They were trying to arrest her. 

"No, stop!" she cried, in alarm, because this was wrong, she was here on very important mostly-human-person business, and she hadn't hurt anyone, she'd worked so hard and she was so tired and hungry but even so she hadn't done anything bad. "I haven't - I haven't done anything wrong! Why are you doing this?!" A few people, the ones closest, backed away hurriedly, and she tried to move closer to one, but he threw something - she yelped and jumped backwards but it was just some fruit or something he had been holding, but even so the message was clear, she wasn't allowed close.

She hesitated. For a moment the world seemed to stand still, save for Ahri's heart's racing; down the road, she saw a number of guards beginning to rush towards her, though they were far away still and she would outrun them easily, but she didn't know where she would run, she couldn't go back to the complex because there were even more guards there, but - oh, she had somewhere she could go, she had a friend outside the complex somewhere maybe that could be - no, Wukong was being sponsored - but maybe she could hide in the lot where they had sparred, if she could just find it, but she knew loosely where it was -

She whimpered aloud, and turned and began to run. Why were they doing this, what had happened?! Had someone framed her, had the assassin already attacked? Or what if she - what if she had hurt someone without even realizing it after all, what if she had killed someone during her dream or in her sleep or something horrible like that, oh no, that would be the worst possible - but wouldn't she feel better, less sick, if she had done that? Or what if she had to kill multiple people to feel better, or what if she was just doomed to kill everyone no matter what and then still die, _you've got to eat everyone eventually, right? And then..._

She found herself in a darker seedier part of the capital, somewhere, she didn't really know where because she had not been paying attention, but she had lost the guards for the moment and seemingly everyone else too, there were no people here; she slumped against a wall and hid behind her hands and tried not to cry, afraid that people might hear and notice, but also because it wasn't helpful to want to cry, but she just didn't understand why this had happened - after she had done and learned so much, and had felt so wonderfully human before, why now? Why this? 

"Kijo." 

She gasped and whirled, but behind her in the street was Yasuo, standing at a great distance, his arms folded, leaning against an opposite building; he had the faintest smile on at first but it faded as soon as Ahri was facing him again. "Please don't call me that," Ahri whimpered. "You know my name, windy person." 

"Windy person," Yasuo repeated lowly. "You know my name, too." 

"Yes, sorry." Ahri shrivelled, not sure why she had said that, she supposed that it felt very natural to do, but she shouldn't have anyway. "P-Please believe me, I haven't done anything wrong," she added, raising her voice and waving her arms defensively. "I don't know why they're after me!"

Yasuo solemnly lowered one hand palm-down - Ahri clasped a hand over her mouth, she had not realized how loud she was being. "I remember you from the Institute," he said, still under his breath; Ahri could hear him quite well but wondered if a normal person standing where she was would be able to. "You seem like a... nice... girl," he continued a bit stiffly. "I owe you a favor." Ahri narrowed her eyes, searching his face blankly. "I can get you out of the city."

"Oh!" Ahri gasped, at first excited, but then defeated immediately. "But I don't want to leave," she protested. "I have friends here that I'm trying to help!"

"Friends?" Yasuo raised an eyebrow. "Where?"

"The summit," Ahri responded. "I - I was going to speak there but got sick and can't, but I still want to be there and help out!"

"Alright, easy, there," Yasuo responded, again waving for Ahri to keep her voice down. "I can get you to the summit, too. Just follow me and stay quiet."

 

He led Ahri further up the city towards what Ahri thought might be the Emerald Ascent, though she admitted she only thought that because she couldn't think of any other major landmarks near the summit, but it didn't get bright and busy again like the area beneath the Ascent so it must have been somewhere near the same elevation but around the mountain face somewhere; either way, they entered a building from a side alley, one that looked rather empty but not completely abandoned somehow, but she didn't get much time to look - Yasuo led her down a flight of stairs instead, one that Ahri expected to leave the building at some point, but... it never did.

She looked around, turning full circle - the bottom of the stairs emptied into a corridor, scarcely wide enough to hold her without her tails brushing the walls; as Yauso led her on, she found it wound upward with small sets of stairs and many turns, but inerringly it continued towards the summit, and it took Ahri a little while to realize what she had found, and she giggled with excitement; Yasuo turned back to her with an eyebrow raised, still walking, and she swayed her hips happily. "I'm just very surprised there is a tunnel here," Ahri explained with delight.

"Yeah," Yasuo grunted, looking forward again. "Me too."

"How did you come across it?" 

"Someone showed me." 

"Someone?"

"Someone that doesn't like questions." His voice took on a strangely threatening edge, and Ahri balked at first, but then huffed indignantly.

"But that someone isn't you, so I can ask you whatever I like," she protested. "Why are you even here? Perhaps I can help you also. We can trade information."

"I'd say being shown this tunnel is already pretty slanted in your favor," he grunted. 

"Fine," Ahri grumped. "Why are you here, then? You tell me, and I will answer a question of yours. Does that seem fair?" 

"You aren't going to stop bugging me about this, are you," Yasuo sighed, stopping and turning around; Ahri basked in her little victory. 

"Yes," she purred. "In fact, I will raise a commotion and everything when we reach the summit."

"I am here because I heard that someone may try to assassinate Ionian elders." Yasuo folded his arms, glaring down a few steps at Ahri with a shadow over his face, all very intimidating and imposing-like, but Ahri just smiled happily back up at him, because she had won anyway, and besides, they weren't enemies or anything, especially hearing what he actually was here for. 

"Aha!" Ahri pointed gleefully. "You and I are looking for the same thing then! We ought to compare notes." 

"You think so, huh?" Yasuo allowed a little smile of his own to show. "Fine then. What do you already know?" 

"I've heard that the assassin may be someone called - uhh..." Ahri faltered, what was his name, it was some stupid artsy Ionian family name, she thought, was it - Oh! "Jhin! Jhin. Do you know of him?" Yasuo nodded, slight and silent. "But I've also heard that he may not be the only one, and that the Black Rose in Noxus may have sent someone too. We only just started looking so we haven't had much time to learn more than that."

"With any luck, the two of them will kill each other off, huh," Yasuo snorted, and Ahri giggled, because that would be nice but very silly and unlikely. "Do you know about the Noxians that are already here?"

"Yes!" Ahri nodded eagerly. "They are friends of mine, actually. I met - well, one of them, at the Institute over Snowdown, but they wanted to speak at the summit in favor of peace, so Karma and I are hosting them!"

"In favor of peace," Yasuo repeated slowly; Ahri again nodded. 

"It's really nice knowing that they don't all agree with what happened here before," Ahri continued. "During the war I saw so many soldiers that just looked so exhausted and depressed on both sides and it was hard to watch, you know, with the way the Noxian armies would destroy everything in their path - you kinda have to-"

"Shut up." 

Ahri flinched. "W-What?"

But he just shook his head and huffed, turning to walk onwards again. Ahri followed along, feeling very concerned, trying to piece together what had happened, what she had even said, how it could have been upsetting, but it was all already gone in her memory, all she knew is that she'd been chattering away happily one moment and then totally shut down the next, but before she could get too deep into that train of thought --

"I heard that one of the Noxians uses a wind technique." Yasuo still sounded very angry but Ahri was glad he was still willing to talk at least! Even though he didn't turn around or anything, he just kept walking upward. 

"Yes!" Ahri beamed. "The friend I met at the Institute does! Her name is Riven. She's so cool! We sparred last night and I got to see her use it and I've never seen anything like it before! Though I don't do a whole lot of fighting, so-"

"I'm supposedly the only person in Ionia that can use it," Yasuo continued, his voice even darker. Ahri hesitated. Why was he so angry? 

"That's - definitely very interesting," Ahri agreed shakily, now decidedly unnerved. "I wonder... where she learned it?"

"Yeah," Yasuo agreed. "I wonder." 

 

The tunnel opened up to a little shed behind a temple, and Ahri distantly remembered finding the temple on one of her many walks or runs through the summit area in the early mornings when she woke up positively bursting with energy and couldn't contain herself, and she was delighted to know that now they had a little tunnel that got in and out of the summit, and for a moment she lamented that she didn't know where the entrance was but then she remembered she could just go back through from this side to find it if she needed to, and then she also remembered that Zoe had been following them, so maybe Zoe knew where it was, and then she realized she had left Zoe behind and oh gosh she had to find her!

"Okay thank you very much!" She sprinted ahead of Yasuo and turned to bow to him kindly, to thank him for his help, though he didn't really do or say anything in response; she paused a little awkwardly, waiting for some acknowledgement, and he just nodded at her sort of dismissively, so she decided that was good enough and took off again, this time heading towards - she THOUGHT this was - yes, that was the way back to Karma's quarters, it felt so nice to be back, after getting chased away by guards and all of that. And beside the door was Zoe, and she grinned and waved, and Zoe stared at her as though she was seeing a ghost, and quickly ushered Ahri inside. 

"Zoe, you'll never believe what I found!" Ahri cried, as soon as the door was closed.

"A tunnel back to the summit," Zoe said quietly. "I gathered, from the fact that you're here. I could hear you from the roof when you were talking to him, too."

"Oh." Well, that admittedly took a little excitement out of things, but still! "Now we know that there's at least one scret way up! Yasuo said he was surprised that it existed too, so I think maybe it's the only one."

"He did, huh?" Zoe narrowed her eyes. "Why did he help you?"

"We've met before," Ahri said simply. "I did him a favor, so he did me a favor. Oh! Get this! He's looking for the assassin, too! Maybe he will help us!"

"Maybe," Zoe replied noncommittally. "Ahri, I'm going to investigate the tunnel entrance, if I can find it - "

"Oh, I can show you where it is!" Ahri chirped, but Zoe firmly shook her head.

"The whole city is looking for you, idiot," she hissed. "You're lucky you weren't caught just getting from the tunnel back to here. You can't leave."

Ahri blinked. She... couldn't leave?

"What do you mean?" Ahri protested, she wasn't going to be put out of commission so easily, and besides it wasn't like the guards could even catch her, if she decided to just outrun them. "I'll be fine! I can help!"

"And if you're wrong, Riven will kill me," Zoe snapped. "Stay here. Don't do anything stupid, and we'll explain it to Riven tonight." 

"Fine." Ahri grumped, but she only conceded here because she remembered all of a sudden that she was probably going to forget everything that had happened, and she needed to quickly write it all down so that she could actually report on it that evening. "Don't you do anything stupid, either." 

"We'll see." Zoe sighed and shook her head, straightening up and leaving, and Ahri watched her go, silently, suddenly feeling very sad, but she tried not to let it get to her, because she still had work to do. 

 

Riven was not allowed to accompany Rhea and Karma to the opening ceremony - but she had listened in enough on their preparations to know that she wasn't missing much. Pointless and anachronistic drivel, nothing more. When the ceremony had concluded, several attendants filtered inside - Rhea had argued quite heatedly for Riven to be allowed in as well on this clause, because aside from that, the summit was not supposed to be observed from the outside. The caveat was that Riven could no longer go further down than the Emerald Ascent until the summit was over... which she was fine with, as long as things went smoothly. 

Inevitably, when she was finally allowed into the chamber, she could not help but compare it with the glimpse of High Command she had been allowed in her youth. The Noxian center of government was a monument of iron and earth, an unshakeable testament to the power and might of its keepers. Its floors were polished obsidian, its gates toothy iron. The Ionian Chamber of Elders was every bit as showy and delicate as the pristine landscaping outside: marble and mahogany formed stark barriers, but mostly, they created a wide-open space of earth and trees and ferns, surrounding a great circle, not unlike the Conqueror's Wake in shape but considerably smaller in scale. At the very highest level, removed from the others and in the back, was where Riven was allowed to spectate from, surrounded by other Ionians dressed in servitors' garb or guardian armor. Beneath her were the Elders, seated as though in bleachers; Rhea and Karma were near the bottom, close to the modest stone podium. Presently, an older man Riven did not recognize was speaking there, in a language Riven didn't know - but he finished up shortly after and bowed. 

Then, there came Nazeguro. Riven had been given a loose description, not of his appearance but his role in the political landscape, and from just that she picked him out on sight, so easily her skin crawled. He walked with such a disgustingly pompous air that would come across as entitled and snobbish in Noxus, but in Ionia everyone was so - reserved, and polite. Just his walk made him stand out, like a blistering sore on smooth skin. It only got worse as he began to speak, enunciating with sharp and pointed tones as though trying to impale you on his words, to make sure the point got across. "This emergency summit has officially begun," he said first. "Our purpose is to determine whether action needs to be taken against Noxus, and what form that action would take. With this in mind, I wish to ask why there is a Noxian in this room." 

Riven gritted her teeth, as all eyes turned to Rhea, who stood seamlessly, her eyes closed, her jaw set, her lips tight - but her brow lax and arms gently clasped behind her back. "Elder Nazeguro," she began - Riven started at her voice! So loud, so full, audible from every point in the room and more, but not overpowering. She held so much more presence than Riven had ever seen from her. "I am honored that even my presence warrants such respect," she continued, with the faintest wry smile, her eyes still closed. "I am here to represent Noxus' desire for peace." 

Another man snorted, across from Rhea, and stood as well, much more swiftly and sternly than Rhea had. "Do tell," he droned, "what concessions will you demand from us, in exchange for this 'peace'?"

Rhea opened her eyes at this to glare at him, clearly taken aback. "You misunderstand," she said, very slowly, as though uncertain he knew her language. "But that is why I am here, Elders - to clarify such misunderstandings." 

"Noxus' actions are aggressive, abrasive, and imperialistic," the stranger continued firmly. "There is little to misunderstand about their intent."

"The intent of the actions High Command has taken is very clear," Rhea agreed. "What you must understand is that High Command cannot speak for the whole of Noxus. High Command does not act as a representative for Noxus, or its citizens, and their imperialistic behavior is quite self-centered and unfavorably viewed by many within the state proper."

"Elder Nazeguro," Karma said, without standing, her voice ominously low. "I would motion to give Lady Scrowveil the floor, if you intend to subject her to such interrogation."

"Motion granted," Nazeguro declared sharply. When he stepped away, he seemed to flinch from how swiftly and surely Rhea in turn approached; her footsteps echoed, the clinking of armor and boot contrasting sharply with the pure and minimalistic appearance of the Chamber itself. 

"Elders of Ionia," Rhea announced, bowing ever so slightly, "I wish to offer a more complete introduction before we continue. All Noxian citizens are obligated to enlist in the military for at least six years, and many of us stay long afterward, including myself. Leading into the conflict, I was a combat instructor.

"When the war itself began, I was reassigned and deployed. I fought here, in Ionia, for seven months, if you can call any of what happened fighting. To make a long story short, I was so thoroughly disgusted by every action taken and decision made by High Command surrounding the war, that I resigned from military service at my earliest opportunity. And I am not the only veteran to feel this way." Riven adjusted her stance, shifting backwards as though hoping to avoid notice.

"And you think your involvement in the murder and destruction of our land, our people, and our way of life makes you a worthy ambassador of peace, is that it?" another Elder snorted. 

"I am in a position High Command is not," Rhea continued stiffly. "I understand what happened here in a way they don't. I saw the strength of the Ionian people for my own eyes. The Noxian creed is that only the strong survive. I think that Ionia has already proven that strength, and I think many Noxians who fought in the war believe that as well. We don't gain or learn anything from war with you."

"How benevolent," still another taunted. Rhea ignored him entirely.

"I do not believe High Command wants to go to war with you for any of those reasons," she continued. "I believe that High Command wants to goad you into declaring war on them."

Riven froze, her jaw dropping - she didn't expect Rhea to say this so bluntly, if at all! If the assassin or the Black Rose contact was in this room somewhere, they now knew that Rhea was on to their plan at least on some level. She was playing a dangerous game. Did she intend to try to draw them out - to make them overextend? If so, the onus was on Riven to protect them. Her fingers settled around the hilt of her new sword. 

"Preposterous," came the response. "Noxus lashes out and throws around threats of violence, and your claim is that we shouldn't act against that violence?"

"I would warn you against playing into High Command's games," Rhea replied carefully. "Perhaps the Grand General is just as powerhungry as his predecessor and thinks he can conquer Ionia with a second attempt. But perhaps there is some deeper motivation we do not understand."

"Lady Scrowveil." Nazeguro spoke next; even though he used the most 'respectful' tone thus far, Riven still ground her teeth at the sound of it. It was just so pompous and smug. How Rhea could resist the urge to gag, Riven would never know. "I have but one question for you." Rhea inclined her head, raising her eyebrows. "Do you concede that war against Noxus may be necessary, for the good of Valoran?" 

Out of the corner of her eye Riven noticed Karma turning to face Nazeguro, with an expression of alarm. If Rhea was similarly disconcerted by this question, she didn't show it. "To answer that question honestly would be treason," she said levelly. "But I can safely say that as things stand, I do not think it is necessary, nor will it become necessary unless a mistake is made here." 

"If Noxus wishes to goad us into war," another skeptical voice chimed, "isn't you being here treason?"

"It is only treason to turn my back on my country," Rhea replied, this time heatedly, turning to face the speaker with an acid glare. "And though it has lost nearly all of my respect, in recent times the other veterans I have met have given me hope once more. I won't give up on it. I will fight however I can for a Noxus that can coexist, and against the Noxus that you feel you must contain."

"Duchess of Navori," Nazeguro intoned, "what have you to say about this?" 

Rhea glanced back to Karma. "I relinquish the floor," she muttered, folding her arms as she returned to her seat, and gracefully Karma rose to take her place. 

"Until very shortly before the summit," Karma began, as soon as she had reached the podium, "I was in favor of taking action against Noxus, up to and including military action if necessary. It would be an extension of the policy that we were forced to embrace during the occupation: a little sacrifice, a little bloodshed, to spare the lives and suffering of many more.

"It was not Lady Scrowveil who changed my mind, though knowing that she would speak out against Noxus' actions is a great relief to me. It was actually a dear friend of mine that has accompanied me to the capital, whom I hoped to sponsor before Lady Scrowveil arrived. She - " 

"Do you mean the kijo?"

Karma froze, lips parted, paling swiftly. "The - I'm sorry, what did you say?" 

"Do you not know?" Riven couldn't identify who had spoken; it was one of the Elders, but there were many, and Riven couldn't see clearly enough to differentiate the strangers. "The Captain of the Guard was alerted this morning to the presence of a foxlike kijo in the city. Not unlike one that you pardoned some three years ago, right?"

"That's right," someone else chimed in, seemingly deeply interested. "I do recall that, Duchess. It was no small controversy at the time, to pardon a murderous spirit. And now you intended to bring her here?" 

"When was this?" Karma breathed. "Who told you?"

"I was warned by the Captain herself," the first voice said innocently. "I didn't ask after her source."

A foxlike kijo. Riven gulped, and turned slowly to one of the attendants beside her. "Stupid question," she murmured; the attendant's eyes flicked over, a slitted glare. "What's a kijo?"

"A demon witch," the man said under his breath. "A vengeful spirit."

A foxlike kijo. 

"I thought so," Riven whispered. She felt light-headed. Was Ahri in trouble? Was anyone hurt? She was seized by a temptation to leave and try to find Ahri, but it was probably unsafe to do so right now, with things so tense!

"What has become of this council?" someone was saying; Karma seemed to be reeling at the podium herself, a hand held over her chest. "Karma, you cannot truly say you meant to sponsor a kijo?"

"I do not think she meant to do it knowingly," Nazeguro interjected mildly. "I advised against, and fortunately, she took my advice." Karma threw him a shockingly vicious glare. 

"I chose not to sponsor her because she fell ill," the Duchess replied, but compared to her effortless - if frustrated - composure before, this came out as virtually a snarl. "I am no fool when it comes to spirits and spiritual creatures, and I know much of Ahri's origin and ailment. She is not a kijo. At worst, she is the victim of one." 

"The fact remains that she poses a threat to the city, if she is allowed to be here, and the claims being made about her are true," someone added. "You knew she had murdered innocents, and yet - "

"Oh, for the love of the gods," Rhea groaned, suddenly standing up herself. "This is absurd," she snorted. "'A threat to the city', indeed. I've met the girl, Elder, and my bodyguard poses a significantly greater threat to the city than Ahri does, are you going to evict us because she carries a sword?"

"As an outsider, milady, it is foreseeable you would not understand," Nazeguro chided. "A kijo is a malicious and incredibly dangerous spirit. They - "

"I've met the girl," Rhea interrupted. There was a palpable reaction of shock, as Nazeguro's voice died in his throat. "My entourage can look after her, if you're so concerned about her. To be afraid of someone so innocent and harmless is frankly disgraceful, let alone interrupting the course of this council over such concerns."

For a moment, Riven allowed herself a surge of relief, but it was a short-lived one. "That will not do," Nazeguro responded darkly. "The Captain of the Guard will know how best to deal with this situation. It cannot be trusted to a foreigner, nor can the Duchess' judgment be considered sound on the matter. But you are right in that we must move on." 

"No, I think this is relevant," one of the other Elders insisted. "Karma, your opinion on this matter was informed by a kijo? I don't suppose that changes your mind at all?"

"No, of course not," Karma snapped. "Ahri merely helped me understand that I was making a mistake. To advocate a first strike is to commit to them what they committed to us. Ahri saw this as pointless suffering, and I am inclined to agree. If we must doom the world to conflict, we must do it with absolute understanding of our purpose, with certainty that they must be stopped."

"At what point do we draw that line, Duchess?" This time Riven could finally pick out the speaker - a dark-skinned man that seemed very close to Karma's age, with a shaven head and tersely folded arms, green eyes flashing. "Will we let them sail to our doorstep once more? Will we allow them to push us to our limit before finally declaring it is time?"

"I do not understand why you have turned around on this matter," another added. "The prior invasion has already taught us that we cannot hold ourselves above conflict on principle. We must defend that which we believe in, not simply lay back and hope not to be challenged on it. You yourself, Duchess, said just as much during the invasion, did you not?" 

"I advocated taking up arms against soldiers that were actively destroying our home," Karma replied firmly. "To march onto their soil changes our context. We cannot claim defense and attempt to destroy another society simultaneously."

"When that other society is inherently destructive, I don't see why not," the second man replied. 

"We are nearing the end of our first evening session," Nazeguro announced. "Has any consensus been reached?" 

Karma shook her head - but as she did, someone said, "Yes - that the Duchess has begun to lose her mind." Karma closed her eyes slowly; there was no laughter, no outward agreement, but no one spoke out against it either, and Riven saw a few huff, hopefully only with amusement. She winced; the attendants began to file out, ahead of the closing ceremony, and she turned to follow along, rubbing her temple. 

 

To Riven's total relief, when she and the nobles returned home, Ahri and Zoe were waiting for them. Riven embraced Ahri tightly, letting out a rattling sigh, as Ahri nuzzled into her shoulder with innocent delight. "I'm glad you two are safe," she murmured, looking over gratefully to Zoe. "Where's Vaughn and Keith?"

"I was able to contact them around sundown," Zoe answered steadily. "They've found a place to stay in the valley, and they think staying down there will help their work. They don't have anything to report that I had not already discovered, however." 

"And what were you able to learn?" Riven asked, lowly, gesturing for the table; the five of them took their places around it, Rhea across from Riven and Karma across from Ahri, while Zoe remained standing with her arms folded at the end. 

"I'm going to guess you already heard about Ahri," she started grimly.

"All we heard was that the guards were on watch for her," Riven replied, shaking her head, and turning to Ahri beside her. "Did something happen?"

Ahri shook her head fervently. "Nothing that I can remember," she promised. "We were just following someone around and when I tried to get in closer suddenly people were shouting at the guards to arrest me. It was very much like - like when we met!" This part she said to Karma, looking distraught. "Do you remember?"

"Very well, yes," Karma muttered; her own arms were tightly folded as well, and her eyes glittered dangerously beneath her brow. "But you were able to make it back here safely?"

"Yes!" Ahri perked up again immediately. "Zoe and I found a tunnel!" She paused, her tails waving about happily, as everyone leaned in to listen more closely. "Zoe was able to find it again after," she added. "It was - east, of the Ascent, right?" Zoe nodded. "There's a building with a staircase that leads down to a tunnel, and that tunnel leads up into the summit."

"At least something went right today," Rhea grumbled. "That's very good to hear."

"How exactly did you find such a thing?" Karma asked lowly. "Who is there with the resources and the inclination to create a passage into the complex without being noticed?"

"Well," Ahri recited, glancing down at a little notebook she had brought out, "Zoe and I were following a man I met at the Institute once, who didn't seem like he was supposed to be there, we were surprised to see him so we thought maybe he would have something to do with this. So we were following him, but then the guards got called on me and I had to get away from them, but when I did Yasuo found me - he's the one we were following - "

"Yasuo?!" Karma's eyebrows jumped. "The defector, Yasuo?"

"What? I don't know about that." She gestured behind her head, making exaggerated poofing motions. "Big fluffy ponytail though. Carries a really big sword like the one Riven was using last night."

"Yes, the defector Yasuo," Karma sighed. "During the war," she added to Riven, "he was assigned to protect an Elder, and that Elder was killed by someone using a technique only he was supposed to know. He insisted that he had been framed and fled. What _is_ he doing here?" 

"So anyway," Ahri continued happily, "he found me, and said that he owed me a favor since I brought him food at the Institute, so I said I need to get back to the summit without being seen and he showed me the tunnel!"

"So he already knew about the tunnel, in advance, and was willing to show you," Riven murmured thoughtfully. "Do we think he's a suspect or no?"

"Oh, no," Ahri chirped, "he said he was here looking for an assassin too, and I said we ought to compare notes. I don't think he'd heard about Jhin, he seemed to think it was you guys, honestly! But I told him that we were friends and that you couldn't - "

"Wait," Karma gasped, "what exactly did you tell him, Ahri?"

Ahri blinked, and her ears flattened and tails drooped, her excited expression dropping off immediately. "I - well - um - " She looked down at her fingers, as if trying to count something. "I remember he said that... he had heard someone was using a --"

Ahri froze, mid sentence, her eyes growing very wide; she started to tremble, her hands curling over her lips hiding an expression of terror. "Oh no," she whispered. "Oh gods, what have I done?" 

She looked up at Riven, panicked and engrieved; Riven didn't know what to say back. In a way, it was almost kind of a relief. She had spent the whole journey to the capital distantly fearing that someone, somewhere, would want revenge on her; the idea that that person actually existed didn't really faze her. But at the same time, now that person knew that she was connected to Ahri... supposedly. And perhaps more. It depended on what Ahri had said. "Riven, I'm so sorry," Ahri was whimpering. "I didn't - I didn't think it through, I didn't realize that he was looking for you..." 

"I can't leave the summit or the Ascent," Riven muttered, "and if he's some kind of wanted criminal, he can't get in, unless he uses that tunnel and decides to confront me in the center of government. So I doubt there's a real threat right now."

"Gods, I'm so stupid," Ahri whispered, looking down and wringing her hands. "I'm... I..." Riven sighed, and shifted closer, reaching out to her - but she shied away and cried out. "Don't touch me," she gasped, standing and hugging herself, "Don't - I'm - " She looked around, suddenly frightened, and bolted up the stairs and out of sight. Riven made to stand as well, but hesitated; in her periphery, she saw Karma nod. "Go," the Duchess said, softly but urgently. "I'll take care of things here." Riven nodded her understanding and chased after her.

 

Ahri had found her way into Riven's room, and when Riven entered, the girl was pacing swiftly on the opposite side, near the window. She did not speak, or look up, or stop moving, as Riven slowly approached her bed; only when Riven finally sat down did she let out a heavy sigh and whirl about to face her, glaring. Her cheeks were streaked with tears. 

"I'm an idiot monster and I'm going to die," Ahri snarled. "Leave me alone." 

Riven was so startled by the rage in Ahri's voice that she could not respond. No words came to her.

Ahri shivered and recoiled, her eyes scrunching closed, and she turned away hurriedly. "No, no, no," she whimpered. "You're going to try to make me feel better and it won't work and I'll feel horrible. Please leave me alone." 

"Ahri, what... happened?" Riven whispered. "You seemed... so happy this morning..." 

Ahri sniffled loudly. Slowly, her tails were knotting and twisting together into a single ragged mass. "I felt so alive last night," she whispered, hoarsely. "Like... nothing was ever wrong. But now today it's worse than ever. I can't remember anything. I can barely think straight. I feel like I'm - I'm coming apart."

Riven sighed, and nodded grimly, looking through the bed and floor absently. "I hoped to put it off until we captured our suspect," she murmured, "but if it can't wait, then it can't wait."

"If - what?" Ahri turned halfway. "What are you...?"

"I mean, you have to eat, right?" Riven added more loudly. "You can't just starve yourself."

"No!!" Ahri shrieked, whirling around fully now and throwing down her fists. "No! I can't! I don't want to eat everyone! I don't want to eat anyone at all!" 

_But you want to live, don't you?_ Riven meant to speak, but her voice died in her throat. There was no point in asking that. A knot was forming in her chest, as she watched Ahri turn away again, hiding her face and leaning against the window, letting out one quiet, choked sob - then suddenly crying out with rage. "I DON'T WANT TO EAT EVERYONE," she screamed. "GO AWAY!" She pounded the glass so hard Riven jumped, sure it would break - but it didn't. 

For a moment, it was quiet again, as Ahri sniffled and panted, tails slowly falling to the floor. Riven began to think that Ahri really wanted her to leave. But when she started to move, Ahri cried out pitifully and turned to clutch at her - though she was too far away to touch, and simply fell to her knees, grasping at the floor at Riven's feet. So, Riven stayed, watching her in horror and confusion. 

"I just wanted to be a normal girl," the fox whimpered. "I just wanted to - to live with people, to cook and dance, and build, and fall in love, and stand for something, and make friends... I didn't want any of this..." She sniffled loudly. "Instead I - I'm a monster. I'm a thing that eats humans and destroys their soul. I don't want any of this, Riven, I spent my whole life dreaming about when I'd really be a part of human society, and just when I thought maybe I could really make it come true, it's... it's become a nightmare instead." She hiccupped, and hung her head. "I want to wake up," she choked. "Being a fox was better than this." 

Riven tried to speak, but her voice wouldn't come, and words didn't form in her mind. She loved Ahri! Ahri was sweet and wonderful and inspiring! But she didn't know how to say it, because those feelings were based in Ahri's adorably sincere ambition - the desire for humanity, nothing more, nothing less - the thing about Ahri that had drawn her in most. Someone with a great goal to aspire to that didn't have to hurt anyone to get there... and now, she had come this far, only to learn that it wasn't true after all.

...to live her whole life, pursuing something, only to find that it was a falsehood...

"You sound like me," Riven said softly. She almost wasn't sure she wanted to be heard.

"Like you?" Ahri looked up, suddenly and sharply. Her eyes had softened, widened; she shuffled up onto her knees, bunching her hands together over her chest. "What do you mean?" 

Riven hesitated, confused, at first - but then... "You don't remember?" she whispered. "When we met, on the Frostbound March?" 

"I..." She looked down. "No," she mumbled. "Well... I remember... um... I got very upset that one day, and I found you and upset you too, but then we talked... I remember you were very... lonely."

Riven nodded. "I pursued something all my life," she explained, quietly. "And it turned out to be... a lie. I felt like I'd lost everything."

"Oh." Ahri withered. "That's... that's how I feel, I guess." 

"But something happened that made me feel much better," Riven continued, leaning in a little. "I fell in love with someone wonderful, that made me feel like I could find a new purpose again."

Ahri whimpered softly. "You're talking about me," she breathed. "I've let you down."

"No!" Riven shuffled closer, holding Ahri's shoulders. "Ahri, if... if anything, _I've_ let _you_ down..."

"No," Ahri protested, "you haven't, Riven, I - I know you've made me happy! You and Karma have made me so very happy." She managed a faint smile, leaning in to touch foreheads with Riven, nuzzling her weakly. "I remember when we got your letter to Karma. I was so, so excited." 

"I'm glad," Riven sighed. "I was excited to see you, too."

"Yeah." She nuzzled again, and leaned farther forward, slumping on one side into Riven's lap. "Thank you for being here, Riven. Thank you for... for giving me a chance, and being my girlfriend, and treating me like a human." 

Riven's heart skipped - briefly terrified that Ahri was just going to die, or fade away, or erupt into light, right before her eyes. "Don't give up," she whispered urgently. 

"What else would I do?" Ahri mumbled, shrugging limply. "It's not worth having this... this stupid horrible fake human body, if I can't even pretend to be a nice not-human, like... whatever her name is. People have to die for me to be healthy, and I would rather be dead myself. That's all there is to it."

Riven sighed, and leaned back a little. She remembered, distantly, holding Ahri like this while they were at the Institute - on their quiet, dark nights together, after running and playing, when Riven would tell her stories about Noxian history. She remembered how comforted she was by just being able to talk, and having Ahri listening and asking questions, sharing something she'd once loved dearly with a new friend. There had to be something like that she could do for Ahri, didn't there? But what lasting comfort could she bring? It felt like Ahri had made up her mind. She'd made her choice. 

Maybe the best thing she could do was just be comforting in the moment. After all, this was a very warm, safe position for Riven, lodged in a happy memory of more peaceful times. Maybe she could recreate that. She reached out, looking for her pack, and something out of it... a flood of realization rushed through Riven, so sudden and so intense that she began to laugh. "Ahri," she giggled. "Gods, Ahri, do you realize, we talked about this?" 

"Huh...?" Ahri only looked up partway, looking only dimly interested. "What do you mean?" 

"I'm sure it's hard to remember," Riven cooed. "Just lay back and make yourself comfortable on me, okay?" Ahri nodded faintly, and did so, resting her head on Riven's chest and closing her eyes; Riven pulled out her knife, and the little carving of Sion - completed, since just before they'd arrived on Ionia, but she opted to pretend to work on it nonetheless. She smiled as she took it in; it wasn't her best work, but she felt confident it would serve its purpose. 

"I told you a story once," she explained. "About a man that marched out to face a gigantic army, and gave up his life to change the world. And you were so distraught by it. I asked you, what if your human body was dying, but you could live if you went back to being a fox? And you told me that you wouldn't give up." Ahri didn't speak, but she whimpered; Riven gently tucked the blade of her knife under her palm, threading her fingers into Ahri's hair, rubbing the base of her ear, and Ahri purred very, very quietly. "You said some things that really inspired me - that you wouldn't accept an ultimatum, that you wouldn't give up control of your fate. You would find another way."

Ahri was silent, save her purring. Riven smiled, and placed the carving in her hand; Ahri dimly looked up to see it.

"I really believe there's another way for you to be happy," Riven whispered. "Okay? I don't want you to give up. You've made me so happy, and inspired me to rise up and forgive myself, to find a new path that I can be proud of. And for me, part of that was thinking about when we'd be together again, and we could travel the world together. And I still want to do that." Ahri lifted the carving to inspect it, turning it over in her hands slowly, running her fingers delicately along its tiny shape. "I don't care if you have to kill people," Riven continued more firmly. "I don't care what it takes. Maybe we'll become assassins for hire, or something. I really don't have any idea what the future has in store for us, Ahri, but I won't give up on you, as long as you won't give up on yourself." 

"It's Sion," Ahri said softly. Her ears flicked. "He defeated a Demacian King, all by himself." 

"That's right," Riven breathed.

Ahri's hands closed around it, and she held it close to her chest. "Thank you, Riven," she whispered. "I have a lot to think about."


	11. Chapter 11

Karma came in a little while after. Riven guided Ahri to sit on the bed beside her; Karma had brought Ahri her notebook, and she accepted it silently, setting it on her thigh, still cradling her Sion figure. "It isn't safe for you to stay here anymore," Karma said, quietly, biting her lip. Ahri nodded. "The guards already know that we're connected, so they'll search for you here. I can't really afford to keep them out at this point." 

"Should I just leave?" Ahri mumbled.

"No," Riven said, hastily. "There's got to be somewhere she can hide, where she'll be safe?" At this, Karma nodded. 

"The central grove on the Emerald Ascent belongs to Soraka," she explained; dutifully, Ahri set aside the carving and lifted her notebook, scribbling in it quietly. Looking over her shoulder, Riven saw her writing ' _Healing Lady Grove_ '. "During the summit, she will spend almost all of her time here in the complex, so you can rest there, and we will know where to find you." 

"She wasn't at the summit today," Riven murmured, thoughtfully. "Was she? I - I've seen her around the Institute before, I'm fairly sure..."

"Yes, you would remember her," Karma agreed. Ahri was now drawing a little portrait of Soraka in her notebook, lips pressed tightly together. "I was assured by Nazeguro that she was taking care of an important personal matter, and would attend the summit tomorrow. Unfortunately, I am not sure it is safe to be here even overnight." Ahri simply nodded. 

"Alright," Riven sighed. "So... our plan proceeds as before, just, without Ahri." 

"For the time being, yes," Karma agreed sadly. "It will be more difficult to coordinate everyone this way, but hopefully Vaughn and Keith will be able to return in person tomorrow night."

Riven hummed in agreement. There was a brief pause, broken only by the gentle scratching of Ahri's pencil in her notebook. 

"Riven, if it's alright," Karma said quietly, "I would like a moment alone with Ahri." 

"Oh." She turned to Ahri, who didn't look up. "Um... okay." 

"Rhea and Zoe wished to speak with you about tomorrow, as well," Karma continued. "I was told I would send you to them." Riven nodded understanding, and made her way out. Still, Ahri didn't look up. 

 

The mercenaries didn't say anything, as Riven approached the table and slumped down into a chair opposite Rhea. They didn't have to - the question was implicit in their gazes. She told them what Ahri had told her, on the Frostbound March, of the compulsion to consume souls to become more human - and how she had learned that it wasn't making her more human, and the consequences of her refusal to eat afterward. When she fell silent, both of them were deep in thought. 

"That is hard to bear," Rhea murmured. "She seems like such a sweet and innocent girl."

"She is," Riven agreed, faintly. Her voice had choked up over the course of it and she was struggling to restrain herself again. She had never really considered... that Ahri might... actually die. But now, realizing how helpless she was, seeing the depth of Ahri's despair for herself... "I don't know what I would do without her, honestly," she sighed, burying her face in her hands. "I - I wanted her to join us, you know?"

"It's not too late for her, is it?" Zoe asked, her voice low but narrowly failing to mask her concern. "If she consumes someone..." 

"She doesn't want to," Riven murmured, shaking her head. "She just doesn't."

"It would be admitting defeat," Rhea added softly. "Conceding that she not only is not human, but cannot be one, and cannot coexist with them. Accepting that she is a wolf among sheep." 

"I don't care if she is," Riven hissed; she tossed her hair and brushed it back again, restless. "I'm seriously considering just bringing someone to her, and saying, 'Here, do it.' Maybe this Yasuo person. If he wants to fight me, fine. I'll fight him, if it means he'll give his soul to her if he loses."

"And then who, after that?" Rhea asked softly. 

"I don't know," Riven snapped, but her voice faded away as she tried to form her next words. _It doesn't matter. I'll find someone._ She heard a killer in her own thoughts, and even as she hesitated to give it voice, she... couldn't disagree with it, either. _If others had to die for Ahri to live, then fine. Others would die._ Did she... really believe that? 

"If Ahri just doesn't want to, then it's a waste," Zoe muttered, "but I'm with Riven. I don't see the point of this. People die around us. I don't mind feeding a few of them to her first."

"Yeah." Riven nodded gratefully, eager to latch onto this more sane justification. "That's... that's more what I mean, I guess. It's just what happens, to Noxians, to mercenaries, that we're constantly around people trying to kill each other, or us." 

"Will you be happy living that way forever?" Rhea asked pointedly. "Will Ahri?" 

Riven was quiet. Rhea cocked her head, smiling a little sadly. 

"You two are so fascinating to me," she continued. "You're opposites. When we first discussed her, I thought it was a little strange that you might fall for an Ionian, but now that we've met her I understand. She's an Ionian that doesn't belong here, just like you're a Noxian that doesn't belong there. And that leaves each of you lost. It's kind of poetic, don't you think?" 

Riven sighed. "I don't know," she muttered. "I thought I'd been feeling better since - before meeting all of you, but thinking about it now, it doesn't like I've changed much since then. I'm still an exile without a purpose, I'm just not alone anymore. But Ahri convinced me that there was some purpose I could find, I guess, and now that I really believe in it, I want Ahri to see it too. I want to find it with her."

"Well, if you do," Rhea hummed, "please do let me know. I would very much like to - "

 

She was interrupted by creaking wood, from upstairs - and the footfalls that came after it clarified its source; the three of them turned to watch Karma slowly descend the staircase, forehead braced against one hand as though deeply fatigued. She, too, slid roughly into a seat at the table, straightening up enough to look at Riven with a serious, but exhausted, expression. 

"Let's focus on the task in front of us," Karma suggested, a bit of a desperate edge to her voice. Riven nodded slowly, though her heart sank, wondering just what had happened up there.

"Well, then," Rhea sighed briskly, "shall we start with the catastrophe that was our first evening session? Surely, there is something to be learned from this mess." 

"Considering the talk about Ahri, specifically," Karma began, "there are two possibilities. Either Nazeguro alerted Irelia to Ahri's symptoms, for what purpose I cannot guess; or, someone else that I did not speak to became aware of her condition, or just saw her as a threat regardless. It seems out of character for Elders to jump to conclusions, otherwise we would be receiving reports about kijo and such nonsense every hour of every day..."

"Nazeguro," Rhea repeated, tapping the table with her nails in rhythm. "What on earth could he gain from damaging your reputation in this way?"

"He is Soraka's sponsor," Karma explained dully. "Soraka sees Ahri as a threat to life, and wishes for her to die instead of consuming others. It would be strange for her to actually take action against Ahri - it was already strange enough that she warned Nazeguro. But he possibly hopes to curry favor with her somehow."

"That doesn't seem right," Riven murmured. "From what I know about Soraka, I feel like she wouldn't want to hurt Ahri outright - she'd want Ahri to _decide_ to die. Taking this approach for Soraka's sake seems... presumptuous, maybe?"

"Perhaps," Karma agreed. "I can't guess his motivation."

"If it were just that, I wouldn't give it a third look," Rhea murmured. "But you told me that he was also an advocate of peace. I find that difficult to believe after what he asked me. Did you hear it, Riven?"

"I did." Riven closed her eyes, remembering the look of shock on Karma's face at the question. _Do you concede that war against Noxus may be necessary, for the good of Valoran?_ There was no good way to answer that question - say yes, and you're advocating war. Say no, and you're a part of the reason Noxus has to be stopped. Framed around just that question, war with Noxus felt like a foregone conclusion. Riven never really thought of herself as much of a speaker or a politician, but still, she had to admire the brutal efficiency with which this one statement had turned the room against Rhea - and even against the concept of peace itself. 

"You're right about that," Karma added. "Were it not for Ahri's condition, I would challenge him on it this evening. But there's something else that troubles me about him also: where was Soraka today?"

Riven narrowed her eyes. "Didn't Nazeguro tell you she was taking care of an important personal matter or something?"

"What personal matter?" Karma asked airily. 

"Furthermore, do we even trust Nazeguro with such information?" Rhea's brow knitted - color was draining slowly from her face, and she took a deep, shivering breath. "Gods. I don't like where this feels like it's going, but we cannot neglect it. Zoe, do you - "

"He must be," Zoe said shortly. "It's obvious at this point." 

"What?" Karma whirled around to face Zoe, alarmed. 

"He is a member of the Black Rose," Zoe stated firmly; Karma jumped, staring at her with open shock. "I am certain of it. If Soraka is a peace advocate, it's likely he sponsored her to make silencing her much easier, and she may be in danger right now." 

"You don't think _he's_ the assassin, too, do you?" Riven asked lowly, wide-eyed herself. 

"No, I think it's worse than that," Rhea muttered grimly. "I think he hired Jhin."

"That doesn't make any sense," Karma protested. "Why would he warn me, then? This is a very tall accusation to make, and I don't see any way any of you can be certain. Acting out against such a significant Elder just because he behaves erratically is something our enemy would want us to do; we can't jump to conclusions like this!"

"With due respect, Duchess," Rhea began, "Zoe has a lot of experience dealing with - "

"It's fine," Zoe said shortly, folding her arms. "I'll find proof." 

Rhea whirled to face her next. "Are you sure?" she whispered urgently. "We don't have much time, not just for Ahri's sake - if something's happened to Soraka..."

"If I am right," Zoe explained, closing her eyes and tapping her foot, "Nazeguro will be planning to frame all of this around _us_. I don't know how he knew we were coming, or if our arrival just happened to make things easier for him, but it's the most obvious choice. So, he won't act right away. He'll build us up as the obvious suspects first, then find some compelling motivation to frame us for it."

"Such as in defense of Ahri," Riven breathed, gritting her teeth. "If he turns the city on Ahri, and we protect her..." 

"It's flimsy," Karma huffed. "But it's certainly an intimidating prospect."

"We still don't know enough details to be able to stop him," Zoe continued. "So finding proof isn't a big setback. I'll spend tomorrow doing research and investigating whatever I can. The tunnel Ahri found might save the whole operation at this point, because I'll have somewhere to start." 

"Good." Karma turned to Rhea. "You and I can't leave, and won't have much time for any investigation; we need to focus on damage control in the morning." Rhea nodded in agreement.

"In that case," Rhea sighed, "I guess Riven is still our bodyguard?" 

"I wouldn't feel good with you two on your own anyway," Riven growled. "With things as tense as they are, and the potential for an attack inside the complex..."

"We are both quite capable of defending ourselves, you know," Karma observed mildly. "Are you sure there isn't something better for you to do? We can't afford to waste any resources at this point, and with Ahri out of commission..."

"She's out of commission?" Rhea and Zoe both asked, in alarm. "I know she's not feeling well," Rhea continued, "but - "

Riven winced. Ahri had been forgetting a _lot_. "With guards on constant watch for her, I don't feel good making her keep track of anything else," Karma explained. "She has her own troubles to worry about." 

"Be that as it may," Rhea murmured, "I do not think it would be wise for Riven to go missing. After the fuss I made to allow her in yesterday, if she isn't around... our enemy may take notice." 

"We can't do anything else until we've got our proof, one way or another," Riven added firmly, "except blindly try to find Soraka, if she's even missing. Either way, I'm just going to get into Zoe's way." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zoe straighten herself a bit, appreciative of the respect. 

"It's decided, then," Karma sighed. "Let's try to meet at midday recess, here in your quarters. If things must change, we must be ready to adapt very quickly." 

 

Riven couldn't sleep that night. At first, she dutifully tried her best, but ever since arrival in Ionia it had proven very difficult. But that particular night she found, to her surprise, that her insomnia had changed forms. Before, she would drift near to sleep, only to have a horrible memory rear its head and shock her to wakefulness and guilt, ad finitum. But that night, she couldn't even begin to drift off. She couldn't get comfortable. Her heart raced. Every second, a thought of Ahri, and an inch closer to panic. The reality in front of her wasn't like her dreams - it wasn't escapable, it wasn't a fractured piece of an event that had already run its course. Always she had fled from her past, but now that she tried to face the future instead, it was so much more terrifying that she almost wished - no; she wholly wished to be back at the Institute, before any of this had happened, when she and Ahri were still new to each other.

That evening's prior conversation with Ahri, such as it had been, played over and over in her mind, as she sat beside the window Ahri had nearly broken earlier. She noted with despair the way Ahri had seemed to forget she was there, her inability to recall someone's name, the total hopelessness in what had once been an indomitable spirit. But she tried to push past those thoughts, to something deeper. She had to seek victory. Another adage from training - no matter how hopeless, no matter how dire, a Noxian does not retreat. Always, you seek victory. What was victory, for her and Ahri?

Ahri had to decide she was willing to consume souls to live. If she wasn't... Riven whimpered, and squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't give up on Ahri!! She couldn't! She had to convince her that her life was worth living. She had tried her best, but if it wasn't enough, she would have to try more. But even if that succeeded, there was another hurdle to clear: who, exactly, did they kill? After all, there was no promise that the assassin would show themselves before Ahri... expired. So who would be the victim? Some poor unsuspecting sap from the Ascent, most likely, but the execution of it would be difficult, especially with so much pressure on them. Saving Ahri may come at the cost of their mission. 

Dully, she wondered if Rhea and Vaughn would be angry with her for how freely Riven made that concession in her mind. 

But this is where she languished, for hours. Who? How? She understood that she couldn't decide these things, not with what she knew right now, but at the same time she could not escape a sense of urgency that if she didn't act very soon, it would be too late. She ultimately had to trust in her ability to improvise, to make decisions in the moment, to find a solution in the crucial hours where Ahri would need it most. 

When morning came, she didn't laze about in listless misery, as she had for years before Ahri. Rhea and Zoe came down together, Rhea still waking but Zoe clearly fully aware, and they found Riven polishing her new weapon in the foyer. They prepared, dressed, suited up. Karma came to retrieve them; solemnly and silently, Zoe departed on her own mission. The remaining three continued towards the Chamber of Elders. 

The summit itself had a somewhat grim and sordid tone, complimenting the women's dreary silence. The nobles went in for the morning's opening ceremony, ahead of many others; as before, Riven was not to accompany them. She waited awkwardly outside, pacing back and forth, running through scenarios in her mind over and over, wondering when she should leave, what she could do to help from the outside, how to balance her priorities. To wait, to feel helpless, was total agony.

Agony that was interrupted by a monkey. 

"Excuse me." He grinned a bit toothily, as Riven looked up, unable to match his sunninesss. She was too weary to even really be surprised anymore. "If it weren't for your sword there, I'd be certain you were Noxian."

"I am Lady Scrowveil's retainer and bodyguard," Riven growled. "May that put your curiosity to rest."

"Ahhh. Mm." He winced, recoiling comically, then shrugging. "Hey. Didn't mean to put you off there. I actually had somethin' I wanted to ask you about." Riven inclined her head, but continued to glare. "You see, I heard this really interesting rumor that that kijo running around had Noxian friends." 

Riven wanted not to react to this, the self control to refrain was far beyond her. Her nostrils flared and her eyes closed as she at least tried to steady her breath. "And?" 

The monkey stepped in a bit closer. "Hey, I'm Wukong," he said, very softly. "Ahri's my best friend." 

Wukong. Riven's eyes opened again, sightlessly working back and forth as she tried to recall that name. She could swear Ahri had used it before. A best friend sounded familiar too - someone she wanted Riven to meet one day. She met his gaze, warily - realizing he had offered a handshake, and briefly accepting it. "What's the significance of that?" 

"No, listen, you can trust me." He waved his hands hurriedly, his face wrought with concern. "Your name is Riven, right? Ahri never told me your name, weirdly enough. But she talked about you a lot. There was - uh - there was a story about... almost falling out of a tree." 

"Is that so?" 

"Okay." He slitted his eyes. "It wasn't about falling. I'm trying not to embarrass you here, okay?" 

...to her shock, Riven laughed at this, and he grinned impishly in reply. "Fine," she sighed. "You're a friend of Ahri's. What do you want?"

"Do you, um... do you know where she is?"

"No," she lied. 

"You don't?!" Wukong gasped, under his breath. "Oh, man. You know how much trouble she's in, don't you? No, that's - that's why you look like this, eh? I should know better. Ahri would never date somebody that looked this mad all the time." He sniggered at this, but only briefly; Riven chose not to protest, not sure whether or not to be flattered. "Well, anyway, I just want to help, and thought maybe if I could find - you know, someone else that cares about her a lot... cause it kinda feels like it's the whole city against just poor little Ahri right now."

Riven felt her expression grow lax, and she sighed and looked down, trying to hide her eyes. "Yeah, that's really how it feels," she agreed weakly. "I'm happy for anyone on her side at this point, but I just don't know how we're going to help her at all." 

"Well, you don't know where she is," Wukong continued, a bit more urgently, "but do you have any idea? You don't have to tell me, if you don't trust me. Just as long as someone could find her if they needed to." He drew himself up. "I'm gonna say something today." 

"What?" Riven blinked.

"At the summit," he continued, smiling assuredly. "They're going to want to talk about her more, and I'm not gonna just let them treat her like a monster, you know? I've been thinking about it all night - I'm gonna make them use her name, I'm gonna make them recognize her as a living person. Hey, I know! Do you think you'd be up to say something about her?"

For a brief moment, ice gripped at Riven's heart, seized by terror at the idea of standing before the men and women she was meant to protect, the men and women who had every right to hate her, to execute her - pleading, in essence, for them to allow another killer to go, for the sake of her love. But something else awakened in her, too, a burning anger swirling around one part of Wukong's sentence: _like a monster._ The Elders didn't see Ahri as human. It didn't matter whether Ahri was actually human or not - she was a living, breathing woman. She deserved respect. She deserved life. But they didn't care about that. She was just a threat to them.

"They won't listen," Riven seethed, folding her arms, gnashing her teeth. "They don't want to see her as a living person. They wouldn't want to see me that way, either." 

"That's not - true," Wukong started to protest - but he faltered, unwittingly conceding that Riven was right. All at once, half a decade of latent rage, of desperation and hopelessness and misery, boiled over in Riven's heart.

"No, it's not true," she cried, well beyond her control, "but what the hell else do they know!? All they ever see of us is this mutilated warmongering mess that High Command shows off, and all they can remember about us is slaughtering innocents and melting the countryside with chemical weapons, so hell, Wukong, what's your deal, huh? Why do you trust me? Whatever possessed you to think there was a Noxian worth caring about, or worth working together with?" 

"A-Ahri told me a lot about you," Wukong said hastily, backing away. "You sounded - really - nice, honestly!"

"Yeah. Yeah, I bet Ahri did." Riven tossed her hair and leaned back into the wall, pressing hard into it, as if willing herself to go through it and disappear. She'd yelled that, in the middle of the Chamber of Elders... what the hell was she thinking? "Maybe that's how it ought to be," she growled under her breath. "She's a misunderstood killer, and so am I." 

"Yeah," Wukong agreed weakly. "Maybe so, I guess."

Riven was quiet after that. 

"Well, yeah, um." Wukong coughed. "I've got to get ready for the ceremony and all, so I'm gonna head out. If you come up with anything, pull me aside, alright? You're not alone, and neither is she." 

"Yeah," Riven murmured, but she didn't move, only listened to him walk away. She liked him. She hoped he wasn't upset with her. 

 

Ahri circled the grove again. 

She looked down at the notebook. It was full of mysteries. She hated it because she knew she was supposed to remember. The page it was open to had her name on it, and it said: _try your best to remember!_ At some point in the past, she had been happy. Cheerful. Not anymore. The words were empty now. 

Next page. _Karma._ There was a little heart by the name. And a portrait. Ahri remembered Karma, though she kept forgetting the name. She remembered what she looked like. She remembered feeling safe and accepted. Happy and warm. Loved, even. The word _mother_ came to her heart. It brought her the faintest feeling - not even a feeling... just a memory of joy. 

Then, next. _Riven._ Also with a heart. She remembered Girlfriend. In her other hand, she clutched a wooden figure; she remembered that Girlfriend had given it to her. She remembered laughter and relief, purpose and pride, love. Hot... glorious love. She wanted it back, and gnashed her teeth at the memory. Girlfriend wanted it, too. At the bottom of Riven's page it said, in big letters: _DON'T GIVE UP._ But Ahri had written that just the night before. Recently enough to remember how she felt when she wrote it: desperate. Hopeless. Weak. 

She flipped through others. Rhea (heart). Zoe (question mark, but Ahri thought now she should have a heart, because even though she remembered very little, there was a memory of happiness there). Yasuo - this one with a skull. She snarled at it, because the page just said: WILL KILL RIVEN. How dare. If she found him, she would not let him do it. Even if she was dying and worthless, she wouldn't let someone wonderful die if she could help it. 

Nazeguro, skull. But the page was blank other than that. The name had a bit of a nostalgic feel to it, like she had heard it often but never met the person it was attached to. She hoped she never did.

Soraka, question mark. Healer Lady. There were notes about the grove. She was hiding here. She supposed it was nice of Soraka to let her hide. Maybe Soraka was a nice lady and should have a heart. After all, healers are nice people. She felt like she had met Soraka before already, and there was a drawing here that made her look very distinctive, and the appearance was familiar. But... she couldn't remember how, or why, they might have met. Maybe she tried to heal Ahri. Too bad she was just too sick and terrible to live.

She realized she had circled the grove again. 

There were people outside, and sometimes she could see them, huddled together and talking, some happily, some nervously. There were merchant stalls selling all manner of things, people calling out to potential customers. It looked nice. She wanted to be a part of it. Too bad she was too sick and terrible to be a human. 

She sighed, and slunk further into the trees, and looked at her notebook again. The next page said Wukong, with a heart, but her drawing wasn't very good. It was hard to remember what he looked like, but she knew he looked very different. He had a big smile. She remembered that much very well, and it made her smile too, very sadly. He would probably be sad when she died. It was best for her to just wait here for the end, where no one was looking, so that fewer people had to be sad about it. Maybe some wouldn't even notice she was gone. That would be nice. 

Someone was here. She looked up, startled, to find them looking back - a face from her notebook, and Ahri gasped as she recognized it, just as surprised by their presence as her ability to remember them.

"Ahri," Soraka said, with deep relief. "Oh, you're already here. Thank the stars." 

"Soraka," Ahri said, slowly, unsure whether she was pronouncing it correctly, but Soraka didn't seem to flinch or look at her weird or anything, so she hoped that was right. "You were... looking for me?" 

"Yes," Soraka sighed, approaching her with graceful steps, a hand over her heart. "I feared for what might happen if the guards were to find you before I did." That was right, Ahri remembered, they were looking for her - that was why she was hiding. 

"Did I do something wrong?" Ahri asked, morosely. It wasn't in any of her notes, so she wasn't sure. But probably.

"No," Soraka murmured. Ahri shifted back as Soraka drew close, so Soraka stopped, a bit more than an arm's length away. "Our world is just not meant for creatures like you, Ahri. That's why you're sick. You are sick, aren't you?" 

Ahri nodded weakly. "I'm so lonely," she murmured, looking down at her notebook. "I can't remember anything." 

"I've spent a lot of time worried about you." When Ahri looked up, Soraka was smiling hopefully. Sadly... but hopefully. "And I think I may be able to help you. You can live, without hurting anyone."

Ahri's eyes widened. "Really?" 

"Yes. But you must do as I say." 

Ahri nodded eagerly, bunching her hands over her chest. "Yes! Please, tell me!"

 

Zoe had to backtrack a bit, to recall the path Ahri and Yasuo had taken. But she recognized the street where Ahri had vanished, and carefully descended onto the silent, empty street to explore it. She preferred crowds - it was easy to disappear into a crowd when things went wrong. But she didn't have that luxury this time. Nor did she have time to take things as cautiously as she would have preferred. She needed her proof, and to know where Soraka was, by midday. Otherwise... well... it'd be too slow. 

The buildings here were in poor repair. It felt uncharacteristic, for the otherwise very well-kept, very presentable capital. It was like stepping into a ghost town. Windows were boarded... doors bolted shut. Except one. She tested it, but didn't enter - circling the perimeter first, checking for anyone inside, as best she could. No sounds. All windows boarded, so no sounds would have to be good enough. 

The building itself was largely empty, too. She didn't trust that. There was a staircase down to a basement, in the back - she crept down this. Silent. Unopposed. She only grew steadily more and more uncomfortable. A trap. Had to be a trap. 

There was a lit candle in the basement - Zoe checked it - a small, but notable, pool of wax at its base. Someone had been here, but not terribly recently. That candle sat on a desk. And on that desk was a smattering of papers. This was her opening, trap or no. She checked the corners of the room swiftly - still silent? Still empty? - then began to piece together what she could. 

She had only learned these more... intellectual... applications of her talents by Rhea's command, some years ago when she was still small. Once upon a time, she would have believed that a knife solved every problem. But Rhea had convinced her otherwise, and Zoe found herself quite surprised by how frequently she would have been wrong. She was glad for these abilities now, one way or another. She could help her adoptive mercenary family this way. Maybe she could even stop a war. It excited her, much more than the moment before a pickpocket, even more than the restless night leading up to a break-in. 

She laid the papers out, attempting to deduce their order; they were letters, written in code - a Black Rose code, to be precise. She couldn't break it simply from memory, but she could guess at pieces of it, words, deeper meanings. Details were harder. She knew the pattern that many Black Rose communications took, so even if they were encoded, parts of the code could be deciphered, if usually not the whole thing.

She recognized... some kind of work orders. She assumed that they had come out of Noxus Prime. She had seen enough assassination requests, from the Black Rose and otherwise, to identify their structure. But this... didn't seem right. There were pieces missing. She often could tell who the target was, but in this case it seemed totally absent. She _did_ , however, pick out the Virtuoso's title - or at least, the one the Black Rose used. 

She squinted and folded her arms, glaring down at the pages imperiously. If she started from her hypothesis that Nazeguro was somehow connected with this, there were two possibilities. Either the Black Rose had, through Nazeguro, commissioned Jhin to do something _other_ than kill someone - she doubted he would agree to that, based on his reputation - and their client had been misinformed; or, the Black Rose intended to kill someone through some other means, and saw Jhin as a threat to their operation. This second hypothesis made far more sense, enough that she wondered why they hadn't thought of it earlier. Someone had brought Jhin here to stop the Black Rose. Nazeguro had tried to make Karma wary of him, so that he would have an extra layer of protection against interference. And yet, something about it felt off somehow. 

Maybe it was that Soraka was missing...? Nazeguro, obviously, would have motivation to harm her; she'd learned from Rhea that Soraka was an outspoken peace activist, after all. But to act before Jhin was caught was... very, very dangerous. Where was she? Was she even in danger, or did she really have something personal to handle that wasn't related to any of this? Or perhaps... was related to Ahri instead somehow? 

A floorboard creaked overhead - then a crash followed after, the slamming of a door. Zoe clapped a hand over her mouth, looking around wildly. Where would she hide?! The room was barren, devoid of any furniture save the desk. She couldn't make it back up the stairs. Where was the - 

Then a seam opened in the wall, and Zoe swiftly ducked behind the desk, still in view from the stairs but hidden from the opening. She listened, stifling her breath; swift footsteps rushed past her, and up the stairs, without pause or hesitation. When they faded, she carefully slipped over to the other side of the room, working the wall hurriedly, trying to find whatever mechanism activated the opening. That had to be the tunnel that Ahri had taken - or, some other escape route, but either way, it was crucial that she know how to get into it, in case she had to take cover in a hurry. 

But above her, the strangers began to speak. She slowed, so she could hear.

"Punctual as ever," one man said, voice heavily laden with a deep superiority, a holier-than-thou aura Zoe thought only existed in the most snobbish of Noxian noble houses. "Shall I take it that your preparations are complete?"

"Of course," the second drawled; he had a lighter, airier voice, almost... dreamier, and Zoe shivered as she heard it, chilled by its timbre alone. "I'm more worried about your promises, Nazeguro. We're on a tight schedule. I can't afford anything being out of place." 

"I assure you, the girl will be on time," Nazeguro intoned. "By the time the summit meeting is postponed for our absence, Soraka will have found her, and Karma and Scrowveil will surely be looking for her. They will all be in position on the Ascent." 

Zoe found it - a section of wall that depressed, like a button - but she froze as the door opened, listening only more keenly. 

"And the bodyguard?" the second voice asked darkly.

"She will be taken care of," Nazeguro said dismissively. "Your tip about the Forsaken - very helpful."

"It's almost like I'm competent," the second voice snorted. "Anyway, you're sure you're going to miss the performance?" Zoe's heart skipped a beat at that word - something felt deeply significant about it, and it took only moments for her to decipher why. 

That was Jhin. He was talking to Jhin. The mystery unravelled in her mind all at once. The Black Rose had contacted Nazeguro to start the war. Nazeguro had hired Jhin to do it. Jhin wasn't targeting one person - he was targeting four. 

"If your work is as beautiful as you claim, I will be missing quite a sight," Nazeguro mused.

"There will be no rush to reach the coast," the second voice continued. "There is always time to partake in the glorious human journey that is art. Don't squander the chance! This could be the defining moment in my career."

"I suspect it will be," Nazeguro huffed. "Well, one way or another, we're done here, are we not?" 

"Yes, yes," the second agreed. There was a pause. "Really?" he added dully. "Fire?" 

"Sometimes, I find the simplest methods are the most effective," Nazeguro replied calmly. Something dropped on the floor. Zoe did not intend to wait around and find out what it was. "Let's be on our way, then." 

There was a sudden rush of wind a telltale crackling sound - however they had chosen to burn the building, it had started. Zoe lunged at the desk and snatched up as many of the papers as she could, then whirled back and darted through the passageway; she paused, registering that the tunnel ran both down and up - possibly a route out of the city - but she ignored that for now, sprinting up the steps towards the summit. 

 

Soraka and Ahri together laid out a complex pattern in the grass, using a strange golden dust that Soraka had apparently made, or found, or something. Ahri was instructed not to step on it or disrupt it, so she was very careful, and as they went on she found that it solidified and became lines of color, pulsing with energy; they were preparing a spell of some kind, and that kind of excited her. 

"Now," Soraka sighed, having just finished looking over the final product, "Ahri, I need you to stand there, in the center." She pointed - and Ahri nodded and dashed over, standing dutifully in the center of their formation; it was up a ledge from the fountain so not quite in the middle of the grove, but that didn't especially matter much. 

Soraka clasped her hands, holding her staff in the crook of her arm, and began to pray. The lines pulsed brighter, and Ahri suddenly felt a little short of breath, and a little hot. 

"Um, Soraka," she said, hugging herself and squirming uneasily. "W-What - what are we doing?" 

"This will cure you," Soraka said softly, without looking up, eyes still gently closed. 

"I - how? I - I don't feel good." 

"It will return you to normal."

Normal? "What do you mean?" But Soraka didn't say anything. Chills crawled through Ahri's bones, making her shiver and tense; the air grew heavy and she struggled to breathe. There was something in her hand - had it been there before? - she glanced at it, curious, concerned. But it was just a strangely shaped little piece of wood, a little figure, of...

...sion...?

_Suppose you had to die tomorrow, but you could live a full life if you returned to being a fox._

Her eyes grew wide. She tried to speak, tried to call out. _DON'T GIVE UP._ Where was her notebook? Where was the sweet thing Riven had told her, that she had written down? "Stop," Ahri managed to choke. "Stop!" 

Soraka's jaw clenched; she opened her eyes partway, and lashed out with her staff - the ground beneath Ahri seemed to tear away and the air was stolen from her throat. When the feeling subsided, something sharp and hard lashed around her arms, pulling them apart and restraining her - she looked to either side, finding manacles of light suspended in the air, binding her. "No, Soraka," she cried. "I don't - I don't want to be a fox again!" 

"It is the natural order," Soraka whispered. "It is how it must be." 

Ahri made to cry out again - but was interrupted by a loud _crack_ from above her that silenced them both.

 

The opening ceremony went on... and on. Riven saw Wukong pacing outside of the Chamber at one point, and squinted at him, but he shrugged and continued on without saying anything. Then he disappeared. Still the meeting delayed; around her, other attendants were chattering nervously, and Riven was able to pick out bits of it: 'kijo', 'Starchild', 'missing'. They suspected Ahri was involved? Fine. She gritted her teeth and shut it out of her mind. No more she could do about that now. 

There was a commotion towards the front of the gated building; Riven saw Zoe arguing quite heatedly with a guard, crumpled papers in her fist, and she advanced warily. "The ceremony has not finished," the guardswoman was saying sternly. "You are not permitted entry any more than I." 

"That's stupid," Zoe snorted. "This is a matter of life and death. I must see Lady Scrowveil _right now_." 

"Zoe, what's going on?" Riven asked, sharply, intending to cut them off - they both whirled to her, and she nodded to the guard. "I am Lady Scrowveil's attendant," she clarified. "So perhaps I can - "

"Riven," Zoe gasped, lunging at the gate. "Listen. I found it." Riven blinked, alarmed, her eyes tracking to the papers Zoe held; Zoe's gaze did not flinch. "Nazeguro and Soraka are missing. They'll postpone the summit for today, and then - that's when it'll happen."

Riven's eyes grew wide. Today?! "What are you talking about?" the guard asked, startled. "What will happen?" Riven reeled, unsure what to say - but to her shock - 

"The kijo may attack someone," Zoe said grimly. "Karma and Lady Scrowveil can lead us to it, but - "

"How do you know that?" the woman leered, glaring back and forth between them. "What is going on?" Riven was almost as lost, but at least she knew that Zoe was lying, trying to get the nobles out of the summit somehow - and she decided she needed to all in on that goal, too. She had to trust Zoe. 

"With apologies," Riven muttered, "I was under strict orders from Lady Scrowveil to retrieve her if something like this happened - I'll be quick."

"You can't interrupt the ceremony!" the guard protested, but Riven ignored her, whirling and dashing back towards the Chambers. But, as she wove deeper in, she found that the Elders were all filing out... she saw Karma, and shoved through the crowd to her, calling her name. The Elders parted for her; Riven flushed, aware that they were now listening to her, but she didn't really have time to worry much about that now.

"Both Nazeguro and Soraka are missing now," Karma relayed grimly, glancing back - Rhea was just catching up. "The summit has been postponed. This is very bad."

"Worse than that," Riven hissed, trying to speak as lowly as she could. "Zoe's at the gate - she says she found proof, and that this is part of the plan, that something's going to happen today. Maybe even right now."

Rhea and Karma exchanged worried glances. "That doesn't make any sense," Karma breathed. "Why would he go to all of this trouble? Why would he warn me against his own assassination threat?"

"Who does he even intend to target?" Rhea added darkly. "We're all here, under tight guard - not even a sniper could reach anyone inside the complex."

"Oh no," Karma whispered, a hand covering her mouth, eyes glassing over - horrified realization dawning across her expression. "He doesn't intend to target any of us at all. He engineered all of this to isolate Ahri."

Riven nearly screamed. She whirled and dashed back towards the gate - the nobles cried out to her, but she didn't stop. She couldn't believe what she had nearly allowed to happen - what she might be too late to stop. A deep rage was boiling in her, fueling her steps; though the gate was opening as she thundered towards it she felt she might have leapt fully over it if it still barred her way. How dare he. How dare he abuse her, torture her, make her into his puppet, make an example of her. How dare he! She wasn't going to let him! She wasn't going to let anyone hurt her! 

A lone figure waited for her, as she burst out of the complex and onto the steps of the Ascent - she skidded to a halt, as the stranger slowly drew a massive katana, as large as the one Karma had given her. Behind him was the grove that Karma had described. Riven gnashed her teeth. What horrible timing.

"I don't have time for this," Riven snarled. "Out of my way." 

"There's no saving her, Riven," the stranger growled, his voice low and ominous. "You should be thanking me for sending you along with her." 

"How do you know my name?" Riven hissed. "No. Never mind that, it doesn't matter. Out of my way." 

She lunged, then feinted - to her surprise, it worked the first try. He sidestepped but she easily dashed past him. When she glanced back, he was watching her, standing stern - not following - and she was just deciding that she didn't care, to focus on finding Ahri, when a series of explosions sounded; she didn't have time to track where they were or even really register what had happened before she fell to her knees, the stonework beneath her splitting from the force of it. The sound registered in her memory - and along with it came intense and unwanted panic. It wasn't a clustershot, Riven, you're insane! There isn't a Melter tank anywhere nearby for hundreds of miles! She looked up. See, it was just - 

Purple fire. Screams. The grove was alight - the ground around it, around her, was burning. The stone hissed angrily as the violet-green acid soaked into it. It - no. She had to be - she had to be hallucinating, somehow. This couldn't be real. 

A wind kicked up at her back; she stumbled to her feet and drew her cumbersome sword hastily, whirling around, but the source of it was already swirling around her, and though she tried to follow him and defend herself, the stranger didn't seem interested in hitting her just then. Instead, the fire followed his sword, circling the both of them. Trapping them on the steps. 

"What - what is this?" Riven gasped, backing away nervously, glancing behind her - the flames licked within arm's reach and she stopped. The light felt harsh and the world around her pulsed angrily in her eyes; she couldn't see past the flames. "Why are you doing this!?" 

"Noxus will pay for its crimes," Yasuo growled. "And it will start with you."


	12. Chapter 12

Another explosion rocked the Ascent - Yasuo and Riven both stumbled, but retained their footing. Riven couldn't tell where it had landed, but regardless the Melter fire intensified, as if spurred on somehow, greedily seeking new material to burn and corrode. Vividly she could envision a Noxian tank division at the foot of the mountain, firing clusterbombs at the Ascent, a key structure of the capital; the acid would melt through the stone and earth and weaken the mountainside, it would collapse and a landslide would bury the lower half of the city. The ground beneath Riven seemed to shift and she yelped; how long did she - did the city have?!

Yasuo, seemingly unpreturbed by this, kept his gaze set on Riven; she wanted to look around, to try to find some way to escape, but she didn't dare let him out of her sight, either. She could barely see past the flame. Already a whirlwind of smoke was surrounding them, too, some sort of cataclysmic veil Yasuo had stirred up. She leveled the daito in her hands, defensively, but if she thought she was in shape to fight, she was kidding herself. Blood pounded in her temples; her heart raced, her arms quivered. The sword felt heavy and unbalanced. Her eyes strained to focus.

"Who gave you that?" Yasuo snorted. "That isn't your weapon, is it?"

"Listen," Riven tried to shout; her voice cracked and sounded weak, but it was all she had just then. The world was closing in around her. "I don't know what you think I'm here to do, but - "

"That isn't what this is about," Yasuo growled, stepping forward slowly. "You can't run from your past, Riven!"

"What _is_ this about, then!?" Riven cried. "Revenge!? Is that all you want?!"

"Honor, Riven," he hissed. "This is about my honor."

He swivelled the blade around in his hands, and lunged forward, slicing broadly towards Riven's stomach; she only narrowly deflected the blow, and it still knocked her backwards. She stumbled to her right to avoid falling into the acid-fire, and Yasuo followed, hammering her with swift strikes; he only had to flick his wrist, and the tip of the blade would sing back and forth with deadly force.

He was fast. Faster than Zoe. Faster than Riven. Maybe even faster than Ahri. Deflecting his attacks was a desperate scramble, not a coordinated defense, and with each attack the fire around them seemed to rise higher and higher, taunting her, walling her in, constricting her.

Some part of her, tiny and far away, protested. It wanted not to give up. And Riven sympathized with it. What if Ahri was alive still, what if the others were in trouble? But a familiar and far stronger anguish wracked her thoughts, twisting her surroundings. She couldn't escape the memory of the fields of Shon-Xan, the visage of soldiers clawing at their own skin, the screaming of agony rising into mortal wails all around her. She couldn't escape the guilt. She had let them die. She had fled her fate. Now it had come for her.

 _This is how I die,_ Riven whimpered.

_We won't surrender control of our fate..._

"What did I ever do to your honor?!" Riven finally shouted, drawing forth just enough strength to smash one of Yasuo's attacks back, forcing him to stagger away.

"Because of you, I was forsaken," Yasuo snarled. "Framed for murder! My friends and family hunted me down, convinced I was a killer!"

"I didn't kill your friends!" Riven cried. "I did what I had to, I did my job! It's not my fault you failed to do yours!"

"This isn't about justice!" he roared, and he jumped forward again, this time making a broader chop with both arms - Riven ducked to the side, and raised her daito in anticipation; sure enough Yasuo's blade came back up and she caught it on hers, pushing down against his strength. He shoved up against her and she stumbled, a spike of panic shooting through her as she remembered what waited behind her. "Justice," he hissed into her face, "is a _luxury_. One that you took away from me."

"You threw it away," Riven shouted back. "You don't have to do any of this!"

"What are you, scared?!" He shoved back harder - Riven yelped as she nearly fell, but still managed to stand firm and she shoved back. He stepped backwards agreeably, then ducked under Riven's arm - Riven gasped and scurried away, unable to bring her lengthy daito into a blocking position in time to stop his attack, and she only narrowly avoided it. When she turned to face him again, the flames had parted around him; the air swirled like an aura, projected by his blade, and wisps of violet fire coursed along the winds. He stood up straight, slowly striding back into the circle that he had created, closing distance between them. "You should be," he hissed. "This poison is your legacy. I think it's fitting to use it against you."

Riven desperately wanted to have a response to that other than _well it's definitely working_. Her legs were shaking badly now and her chest hurt; she wasn't sure if it was the smoke doing it, but she felt constantly short of breath, too. There was no way she was going to fight him like this. She had to talk him down.

"Listen." Riven was panting now. "I hate what happened here, okay? I hated myself for being a part of it! I don't want this for Ionia _or_ Noxus! "

"Your actions have spoken for you," Yasuo sneered. "Don't waste your breath."

His arm snapped up and he flicked his wrist in two swift motions - one to draw the katana back, and the next slicing forward; the whirlwind surrounding him echoed out of it, acidfire swirling together like dueling serpents. Riven's legs wouldn't move - she cried out and fell backwards, and the attack passed over her; she rolled to the side, trying to push herself upright again, but as she did, a third set of explosions rocked the Ascent, and she fell to her knee again, ducking and wrenching her eyes closed.

The earth beneath her gave away entirely, and the slab of stone she was standing on cracked and fell away from the larger structure; she clung to it helplessly, realizing only moments after that she had dropped her sword somewhere, and didn't have it anymore. When the movement subsided, and she opened her eyes again, she found that the ground had sunk nearly a story - Yasuo was perched high above her, though the stone he was standing on hung precariously over the collapse, sure to follow soon enough. Little streams of the acidfire trickled down from every direction, threatening to surround her in it, consuming the ground beneath her until it swallowed her whole.

She felt faint; her vision was blurry and she couldn't stop shivering. But now she was free of the fire circle! She whirled around, trying to pick out a path forward, but she couldn't see anything but vivid angry violet. Even if Yasuo wasn't trapping her now, the fire still definitely was. Within a stone's throw, now level with them, was the grove - burning even more vigorously than everything else around them, and all but leveled; she cried out in alarm and tried to sprint towards it, but there was no path forward, layer upon layer of fire and acid and molten reactive rock separating her. She had to get to Ahri!

" _AHRI!_ " She screamed at the top of her lungs, wildly desperate for any kind of response, anything, just a confirmation that Ahri wasn't dead - that she hadn't failed, just like last time. Again, and again, she cried out.

No answer came to her.

"No!" she cried. "No, I can't - I can't do this alone! I need you, Ahri! I - I tried to save you, I'm so sorry... I..."

She fell to her knees, and curled in on herself, hiding her face. What - what was she doing? She tried to focus inward, on something - anything - anything other than this - Ahri was the thing that made the nightmares go away, she had to think about Ahri, right?! Ahri who had brought meaning to her life, Ahri who believed that there was another path for her to survive, Ahri who she had failed to protect -

"Pathetic."

Yasuo was close now. She whimpered and shoved herself upright, meaning to defend herself again, but she had no weapon now; he held both swords, and Riven's he impaled into the exposed earth beside him. Then, he turned his own sideways, and dragged the tip along the ground; it caught into one of the flames and the blade itself ignited, fire running along the it to its guard. "This is your end," he growled, starting to advance; in a shock Riven remembered she had her runeblade's hilt, and quickly drew it, holding it before her in two hands. "Face it with dignity."

"Ahri is trapped in there!" Riven cried. "Why are you stopping me?! Just let me help her, please, before - before she - "

"Stop stalling," Yasuo snarled, drawing back his blade in one long swipe; the fire arced along with it, and sparks and embers flew out and dripped beneath. In a surge of panic Riven raised her sword, but he didn't strike yet.

"What's wrong with you?!" Riven shouted. "She's your friend, too, isn't she?! She's innocent! She hasn't done anything! Why are you just abandoning her!?"

"Innocent," Yasuo snorted. "None of us are innocent."

"She did what she had to to survive!" Riven roared; a sudden heat roiled in her heart and she drew herself up. "It wasn't even - like me! She -"

"It was exactly like you," Yasuo snarled. "You're both murderers, Riven! There is no forgiveness for that!"

 

For a moment, her heart lurched and grew cold, fearful of retribution; she knew she was guilty, and deserved to die. But - not Ahri. She tried to speak, as he prepared to strike her, but the words in her mind sparked something deep and fierce in her, stronger even than an instinct to protect her love. _Ahri doesn't need your forgiveness,_ her heart raged, but she realized: _And neither do I._

He dashed in. She screamed in anger, a raw denial, a refusal to die. By instinct alone she caught his attack in the broken, jagged cleft of her blade, throwing his attack aside, and she lashed out with a wild cry, stumbling forward with the force of it but quickly righting herself again, whirling to face him. He stumbled past too, a hand to his cheek - as he drew it away, a line of crimson revealed itself across his cheek, and he stared at his bloodied hand in shock.

"That's for Ahri," Riven shouted, "and I've got a lot more of it!"

"This is about you," Yasuo growled. "You, and Noxus."

Riven gritted her teeth. "Well, hell," she hissed, "if you want revenge against Noxus, fine. I'll give you Noxus."

When Riven broke her sword, years ago now, she had left the shards behind - but the runes carved into the blade's original shape held such power that the blade still seemed to remember what it was supposed to be. When she focused, the air condensed around the hilt shard, and green energy swirled around it - coalescing into the full sword's outline, then charring black to resemble the blade's original shape. She waved the weapon off to one side, remembering the change in weight, in reach. It had been years since she had wielded this weapon in real combat. A part of her hoped it was the last time.

It felt fitting. It felt right. The fates would come to claim her, but she would defy death, once again. She would face the past that so doggedly pursued her, and she would wield her own past against it. And then, she would let it go.

The world snapped into focus. She could see. She could hear. Her heart began to calm. Her limbs steadied. She took a deep breath, a sense of purpose and wonder and life flowing into her. _I'll give you Noxus._ It reverberated in her mind. It beat in her heart. Noxus. This was the glory she had sought as a child. This was the power she had honed all her life. Noxus didn't give it to her. She had wrought it, all by herself.

"No," she breathed. "You want your honor back from me. Fine. Here I am."

 

For a moment, Yasuo hesitated. Riven realized he had allowed her the moment for her little internal monologue, and she smirked as she tracked back the number of times he must have hesitated. If he truly desired her life, he could've had it. Honor, indeed! So, she waited too, pacing back and forth slowly, watching him with her sword arm readied. She would return the favor.

When he moved, it was sudden and sharp, but Riven was ready for it. With her heightened awareness, her primed adrenaline, she could tell now: Ahri was faster. She'd beaten Ahri. She could beat him. His attack deflected off of the massive girth of her blade, and she swept it wide and knocked him off-balance, lunging into the opening she had created and jabbing at his face with the hilt. He ducked beneath that and she carried her own momentum forward, swinging the whole blade around as she turned to face him again - a circle-slash that reached far enough that he had to stop and back away further, and that allowed her yet another opening to close the distance. It was a familiar dance, one that her instincts had not forgotten at all; her body sang each motion like a choir, attack flowing into stance flowing into attack again. The weight of the weapon didn't slow her at all. It carried her forward.

Yasuo quickly picked up the pace now that he recognized that the real fight had started, and the fire trailing behind each strike was not for show. It hissed and sparked angrily on each impact, splattering little bits of corroding metal on the both of them - but the wind swirling around them both blew the sparks aside.

"Why'd you ignite your sword?" Riven taunted, slamming him backwards with a full-on attack. Melter munitions, she recalled, were dangerous for their ability to spread and chain-react into almost anything; it was an acid that behaved like a flame, a chemical that reacted hatefully to anything around it until it rendered everything within range an inert mush. "Don't intend to use it anymore?"

"This blade's purpose is to end you," he replied curtly, recovering swiftly and lunging forward again. She had to give him credit; his offense was relentless and precise. "Once that is finished, I will take another."

"Let's hope it doesn't break before then," Riven snorted in response. She blocked his next attack - then whirled around in a full circle, this time attacking his sword directly, bringing the blade down on his with a sharp cry. It held... that time. The strength of the attack was such that he stumbled, and backed away; Riven followed, bringing her blade overhead and crashing it down onto the stone, as he narrowly swayed to one side. The earth groaned in agony, and splintered - a deep crack emerging beneath Riven's strike, and as she steadied herself the section of stone she was standing on began to crumble. She whirled around, looking for new footing -

Ahri. The grove. She could reach Ahri! She sprinted forward and leapt onto the nearest patch of stable stone; she heard a rush of wind beside her, and turned to meet Yasuo's next attack, as he swept in front of her, blocking her off.

"Stop running away," Yasuo snarled.

Riven laughed coldly. "Make me."

Still more of the Ascent gave away; the fire seemed to be receding, sinking into the stone, though Riven could also tell that their attacks were brushing back. The aura of wind surrounded them both, now. But it wouldn't stop the hillside beneath them from giving away, and slowly but surely, though most of the ornate roadway remained in large chunks, the earth supporting it turned to an oozing fluid, bursts of flame shooting up through growing cracks in the Ascent. Riven continued to seek an opening; Yasuo continued to follow. He was faster than her, and it was clear that he knew her objective; she would need to disable him to get to Ahri, and she couldn't avoid that.

Another set of explosions rung out from a nearby rooftop - Riven looked up, suddenly alarmed, not sure how to defend herself from another barrage. But she didn't have to. The acidfire charge had detonated just above a great building to the south, one she could only see now that the trees of the grove had burned away; she saw a blur of white - and sure enough, there Ahri was, perched underneath a balcony, waiting out the corrosive storm. Riven let out a great sigh - Ahri was safe! For now. She still needed to reach her.

She realized that Yasuo had not attacked her for a little while, and looked over towards him; he had backed away across a forming chasm in the stone, sword drawn back and teeth bared. The wind aura surrounded him again; Riven tensed, remembering the attack that had come out last time.

"You can't run from retribution, Riven," he snarled. "Noxus will be stopped."

"By you?" Riven intoned, leveling her own blade. "I don't have time for this."

Before his attack, he drew back and the wind drew up the fire and earth from around him; with a roar he swung, and the mass behind surged forward in a spiral. This attack was meant to end the fight, Riven could tell immediately, and she appreciated that. It was too much to block, too wide to dodge. So Riven would just have to go through it. She channeled the wind through the runeblade and, with a shout of her own, she swung - willing the blade to shatter. The shockwave blasted Yasuo's attack apart before it could hit her, and one of the shards burst through and impaled him.

He staggered back, in shock. Riven watched him closely for a few moments, panting, tracking his arms, tracking his eyes. He fell to his knees. Slowly, she began to relax.

"No," he whispered. "Not - now."

Riven let out a heaving sigh; fatigue and ache settled into her arms and shoulders, as if relieved to no longer have to wield her runeblade. She dropped the hilt; the shards, formed only of magic, faded away, leaving Yasuo with an open wound. She didn't stay to humor him; Ahri might have escaped one fiery death, but they were both far from safe. Karma's daito was still nearby; she dashed to it, and lashed out at the fire before her, willing it to part for her. The wind obeyed, and slowly, she began to forge a path south, where Ahri had gone.


	13. Chapter 13

"Oh no," Karma gasped. "He doesn't intend to target any of us at all. He engineered all of this to isolate Ahri."

Riven's eyes grew wide - she whirled and sprinted off without a word. "No! Riven, wait!" Rhea lunged - but the exile was too fast, and already far out of reach. She swore and turned back to Karma. "Duchess, _that_ doesn't make any sense, either," she hissed. "Why go to all this trouble to demonize Ahri and _then_ kill her? She's not the one he wants to draw out!" 

Karma stared blankly at her, momentarily nonplussed - but soon understanding snapped into her gaze and she groaned, stepping forward; Rhea quickly followed along. "We are," Karma hissed. "Everyone who cares about Ahri has an interest in peace. She's bait." 

"It's such a roundabout way of doing this," Rhea huffed. "It can't be just to throw us off his trail...?"

"No," Karma sighed, "knowing Jhin, there's another motivation at work here." 

Waiting at the gate were Irelia and Zoe - the former likely holding the latter out. They eached approached swiftly, but seeing their urgency, they each fell into step alongside them - Zoe on Rhea's side, and Irelia on Karma's. "Duchess," the captain started, "what is happening? Do you know something about this?" 

"I've been investigating the assassin rumors," Karma replied curtly, nodding to Rhea. "With her help. We --"

"You think he's attacking today," Irelia interrupted, now looking at Zoe. "Now? Who?" 

"That's what I don't get," Zoe hissed. "No targets. But they talked specifically about Karma and Rhea - and Riven, and Soraka - "

"That's too many," Irelia snorted. "Not even Jhin could - "

They were interrupted by an explosion - Rhea and Karma both jumped, but the younger girls sprang forward; Karma's spirit rose up to match her adrenaline, and she dashed after them. The four stopped at the top of the Emerald Ascent, each staring in horror at the sight that met them; the northwest quadrant of the plaza was blanketed in violet fire, a plume of dark blue smoke rising from it. "What is...?" Zoe gasped, shocked - but the other three all knew. They had seen it before.

"Melter fire!" Irelia gasped. "Noxians?!" 

"No, much worse," Karma hissed. She whirled to the other three, who stared at her with wide-eyed panic. She could feel her heart burning in anger. She had felt this once before; back then, her fury had changed the fate of a nation. She hoped today she could do it again. "You three," she said curtly, to Irelia and Rhea. "If any more charges go off the mountain will collapse. Get the Elders out, now!"

"Right!" the elder two exclaimed. "Just show me what to do," Rhea added sharply, and Irelia nodded with gratitude; they sprinted together back into the complex. But Zoe paused.

"Go," Karma snapped. "Ahri is safe with me."

"I am contractually obligated to protect you," Zoe said stiffly. "I'm staying."

Karma closed her eyes - a chill running through her spine, and growing into a visible shiver. "Nazeguro and Jhin are _my_ problem. I will deal with them."

When she opened her eyes, Zoe was backing away; she nodded hesitantly, but turned and ran. With a sigh, Karma folded her arms and stormed out into the fire, eyes skimming the rooftops. Energy crackled at her fingers, and the stone crumbled at her feet. 

Jhin had chosen the wrong target today.

 

The light grew harsh; Ahri couldn't see. She felt - torn. Darkness pulled at her vision. Everything felt far away, like she was on the inside of a glass box that was slowly growing thicker and thicker, until she would be trapped inside it forever and no one could help her.

Soraka was still in front of her - but no longer looking at her, no longer praying. She looked frightened. Ahri couldn't tell what had happened, but something was wrong. A fire maybe? But it was a strange color. She squinted, trying to focus and make it out, but the world spun instead and she nearly vomited. Or... did she? She reeled, certainly, her mind surged and recoiled sickly, but her body seemed not to care. She was fading. It was happening. 

She tried to whimper. This isn't what she wanted. Would she even remember anything as a fox? She couldn't go back to the humans. The ones that liked her might try to accept her and involve her, but she wouldn't be able to tell what was going on. She'd be bored and hungry and sleep a lot. She would just be... more like she was now, except worse. And not a human. All pretense would be gone and she would just have to accept fox-ness. She didn't want that. She would rather die. 

She could just... run into the fire, as soon as the spell ended... 

She felt herself withering at the thought. And yet, she accepted it, too. That was the best she could do. She could still die without anyone being sad. Maybe Soraka wouldn't even notice. 

How... horrible. She was a waste. No one would care about her. She wondered if she was crying. 

_AHRI!!!_

She gasped, and tried to look up. That was - her! That was her name! Who - ? 

_I can't do this alone... I need you, Ahri! I tried to save you..._

...she knew that voice. That voice was... 

She tried to remember. Many memories came to her. She remembered being alone, curled under trees, plodding along empty roads in total darkness. She remembered being scoffed at, turned aside, ignored. She remembered being huddled and cold and alone against a stone wall, locked away from humans, but then a nice woman came to meet her and let her go. She remembered meeting a strange furred man that laughed loud and smiled big and made her heart swell. She remembered talking to a stranger at the bottom of a ravine, and learning that someone really cared for her, and how happy it made her. It was her voice! She focused on that memory - she remembered tears under moonlight, panic and relief; she remembered snow angels and snowmen and gentle smiles and sweet laughter, she remembered cuddling in a warm, dark room and listening to legends from a land far away...

_My life had value. My life had love. I... wasn't a waste. I'm not a waste. She needs me!_

She struggled. She tried to fight. She remembered fighting. She had no strength left, but she remembered a time when she had. She'd nearly died then, too, hadn't she?

_So now you're charming contestants to steal their supplies, huh?_

She remembered being angry at that. It was strange. It was a sharp memory. More in focus than others. Was she - was she winning? What was it he had said?! She tried to remember!

_"Use every ability you have to your advantage. Anything less is insulting."_

_"That would've been a good idea," Riven admitted, chuckling._

_"You need to use every skill you've got to your advantage, in any little way you can."_

She still had one last weapon. 

She summoned all of her happy memories, drew them up from the decaying well of her mind; she sharpened her gaze and ignored the way her vision seemed to pitch, and directed all her attention to that violet-blue figure in front of her, who had just turned to look at her. All of it, she focused on Soraka, and she whispered:

"Come here." 

Soraka's golden eyes widened. Ahri smiled. Her body was just a tool - she moved it on strings like a puppet. "Please, come here," Ahri whispered again. 

"No," Soraka gasped. "Stop this."

"Just once, before the end," Ahri lied. Or was it a promise? It was a promise. She didn't say whose end it was. 

Soraka took one shaking step forward - but that was all. And it was enough. Ahri pulled on her restraints. Soraka's concentration was broken - and Ahri's bindings snapped. Ahri stumbled forward. The spell warped, and shattered. All at once, her awareness snapped back, her soul returned to its proper form. She felt a howling wind, she saw scorching violet light on either side, she smelled ash and smoke, but she pushed all those things aside and glared deep into Soraka's eyes, bidding her stay still, and powerless, Soraka stayed. 

"No," Soraka was whimpering. "No...! No, no - please, Ahri - y-you can't - !"

"This is the natural order, Soraka," Ahri hissed. "This is how it's going to be." 

She lunged and pushed Soraka to the ground, and looked into her eyes, and pulled. Soraka came out. And Ahri exalted in her life.

 

Karma was halfway down the steps when the second shell hit. She was at the base, and running, when the third hit. There would be four. Always four. The fourth would be the one that mattered. 

She didn't have to go far after that - just one level below the Emerald Ascent, a great temple rose and overlooked most of the city, with a clear view of the grove and the entrance to the Elders' Chambers. At first, Karma rushed herself up the stairs and through the halls, but she began to slow as she reached the final stretch. She heard humming above, and knew he was waiting. Expecting company. 

The highest floor was open, but shaded by its roof; anyone looking out might struggle to see where they were. It was a natural sniper's nest. Karma cursed herself; she'd put Ahri directly where Jhin could see her, of course. Jhin was pacing beside his rifle, and next to that, a mortar launcher with one final shell resting beside it; when she stepped out into the open space, Jhin whirled, spreading his arms with a flourish. "Duchess Karma," he sang, with total delight. "You're right on cue!" 

"So I am," Karma replied icily. She unfolded her arms; her spirit burned at her fingertips, eager, but she knew these things had a proper order. Killing him like an animal did no good. Restraint was necessary. "You expected me, then?"

"Of course, of course. You're at the heart of all of this." Jhin gestured grandly outside; to the north, the Ascent was covered in blue smoke, but through that and the shimmering fire Karma could see that the whole structure was beginning to cave inward. Her heart lurched as she realized the grove was burning, too - from here she could see that Jhin's shots had deliberately avoided its center, but even so, Ahri was not out of danger. 

"It seems you took my words to heart, last time we met," she growled. 

"What, this?" Jhin snorted. "No, no, no. I said before, and I'll say it again. This is _art_ , Karma. Destruction and death are just another part of the grand experience of life. Surely, even you can understand a masterpiece of _this_ scale."

"Enlighten me," Karma snarled, stepping forward. "What's Ahri symbolize, hmmmm?"

"Purity, innocence," Jhin replied dismissively. "As any maiden would. _My_ interpretation is not important. What does she symbolize to _you_?"

"I don't remember inviting you to ask questions." She stepped forward more. 

"And I don't remember inviting you to approach me," Jhin replied casually, raising his pistol, "but that's quite alright, because we expected you to anyway." 

Karma froze. Wh- 

She ducked forward and whirled around, but Nazeguro was not attacking her. Of course they were together. She gritted her teeth and backed away, trying to keep both of them within sight; Nazeguro approached her more lazily. Despite his age and falsely venerable air, his talent with dual wakizashi was well-known. This was much more dangerous; Jhin, alone, she could easily handle, but...

"I must say," Nazeguro was drawling, "Jhin's 'script', as he calls it, is quite impeccable. So far, he has correctly predicted your every move, even down to the timing with which you would arrive to stop him." 

"Naturally," Jhin continued, "this was all a part of the script, too. It would be a waste to compose all of this for you and not allow you a vantage point from which to view it."

"If you really think I'm going to let you kill Ahri from here, you've completely lost it," Karma snapped. 

"I'd prefer to call it optimism," Jhin sneered. 

Nazeguro lunged; Karma's spirit enveloped her fists, and with open palm she deflected one strike and swept around the other; her free hand swirled with fire and she thrust it at Jhin with a cry, and with a flourish of his own he shot it out of the air. The magic mingled and exploded, bathing the room briefly in harsh multicolor light; in the wake of it, Jhin waited calmly, while Nazeguro struck again, and again. 

"Why this, Nazeguro?" she hissed, backing away cautiously and continuing to block what reached her. "Why betray your own people?" 

"Orders," Nazeguro replied simply. "A higher power demands it." He spoke freely, as though they were chatting over tea. 

"The Black Rose, then." She glanced back - Jhin was still waiting. This was his opening to fire... why wasn't he...? "I take it you bought Shon-Xan from them?" 

"Spare me the insult," he snorted. "I invested, and have made returns. Now I am investing again."

"And why Ahri?" Karma continued. "Just to get at me?"

"That was his idea," the Elder huffed; he crossed his swords to deflect an energy burst, and Karma took the opening to back away again. This time, Nazeguro didn't close in, and simply nodded to Jhin. "My orders were much more straightforward, and for the most part, my task is now complete." 

"Yes, you could say this is recreational at this point," Jhin mused in agreement, a hand on his masked chin. "Really, though, Karma, is this the best use of your time? Or did you assume Ahri would simply be safe in the grove?"

"What?" Karma snapped, again turning to face them both, to ensure her total awareness. 

"I wonder if you expected Soraka to turn up today," Nazeguro added thoughtfully, tapping his swords together idly. "Or perhaps you trusted her." 

Karma's eyes widened. "What do you mean? What have you done?"

"Soraka sought a means to cure Ahri's condition," Nazeguro replied mildly. "And being such a wise, powerful creature, she found it, of course: to return her body to its prior form."

"I can't imagine the ritual itself takes too long," Jhin continued conversationally, shrugging. "I suspect we can see the stage now - perhaps we should take a look?"

Karma dashed over to the border of the room, staring out in horror, trying to focus on the grove in the distance; it wasn't so far, and it was much smaller than it looked, once the trees were replaced with fire and smoke. In the center, beside the fountain she and Soraka had spoken at just a few days before, there was a single figure - cloaked behind with white, fluffy tails, and at her feet, lay Soraka.

Karma did not expect the surge of self-righteous pride that swelled in her chest. But she paid it no mind. Ahri was safe. She wasn't too late.

"Oh." Jhin's voice was sour. "That's not quite what I expected to happen." 

"What?" Nazeguro started over, as well. "What's happened?" 

Karma backed away, pretending to give him space to see - Jhin's eyes turned on her as she began to gesture, and he snapped his arm back and fired a single shot from his pistol; Karma felt the impact in her shoulder, knocking her back with a pained grunt and disrupting her movement. "Now, now," Jhin growled, "there's still time for the performance to come together as intended, if you'll just play along."

"Ahri and I represent the peaceful spirit of Ionia," Karma hissed; her shoulder was pulsing angrily, and she suspected the wound was much more dangerous than it felt. "We will not be defeated so easily." 

"We will see," Nazeguro growled, lunging anew. She continued to deflect him, but this time, Jhin paced at the corner of her vision, his firearm clutched tight in his fist; she fired a pulse of energy at him, but he swayed out of its way, and as Nazeguro switched from her right side to her injured left, Jhin fired a second round; the movement, as though coordinated to do so, caught Karma off-guard and she missed the shield, taking another shot to the shoulder. 

But Nazeguro didn't let up. She let out a shockwave of energy with a cry, momentarily knocking him back, and ignoring the burning agony in her arms, she gathered her spirit together: _Gaen na kyri vi --_

Then she lashed her spirit to Nazeguro's, drawing upon his lifeforce, and using it to repair her shoulders. For just a moment, he felt her pain, and her own body's load was lightened. He renewed his attack, and she renewed her defense, this time looking for further opportunities to strike at Jhin, who paced at the edge of the room, ominously silent. 

Nazeguro lunged, but fell off-balance - Karma wreathed one palm in green fire and thrust it into his chest... but it passed through, with no resistance? She snarled, and whirled to see him attacking again from another angle. "Impressive reflexes," Nazeguro observed icily. "Less impressive perception." 

"Cheap parlor tricks are beneath an Ionian Elder," Karma retorted; she swirled, reaching out with her spirit, and drew her palm in a horizontal arc; a wave of force emanated from her, forcing Nazeguro back, and in the brief pause Karma saw Jhin's pistol raised, and raised her palm again, catching his shot easily; it dissipated with a weak hissing sound, and Karma again faced Nazeguro. "I understand your rhythm now," she snarled. "You will not defeat me." 

"You know, at first I was disappointed that we were wasting potential here," Jhin intoned thoughtfully, dodging another burst of energy with ease, "but I think this will come out very well, actually." 

 

Oh, it was glorious bliss! Ahri had forgotten how wonderful, how perfect, it felt to consume! To feel a life burning all around you, and to feel all of that heat and power surging into you - she moaned with delight and her tails curled and her fingers clenched onto Soraka's shoulders, and she just... _thought._

Because that was the greatest glory of all: her mind, her heart, slowed down, for just a few moments. The impetuous and feral rush of instinct and adrenaline left her. She wondered now: was it her foxy aspect fading? Or was it the enchantment's allure that was simply giving way, temporarily appeased? Either way, it was ecstasy. She felt her memories flowing back, not entirely whole but almost - she saw Riven's name, her face, her laugh, her many smiles, the shy ones and surprised ones and pleasured ones and playful ones, she saw the beautiful color of her eyes, she saw her white hair waving in a late-night breeze. It was all there, as though it had never left her. Her life was renewed. She was alive. 

She couldn't stay in its thrall forever, of course - it wasn't hot, but the area around her was burning, and that was certainly quite alarming. What had happened?! She looked down at Soraka, with a sort of morbid curiosity; yes, she was most definitely dead. She closed the celestial's eyes, not that it would really matter, since the fire would probably reach her long before anyone else did. Then, she turned her attention back to the blaze. It was... purple, so that was immediately not right; some kind of magic was most definitely involved. The hillside seemed to be caving in, too... was the stone itself burning? 

_Is this Jhin's attack?_

A troubling thought, to be sure. If that were the case - in any case, really - the fire had to have come from somewhere, right? She remembered an explosion... a bomb had gone off? She looked skyward; thick blue smoke obscured her vision in every direction, except one. South. And directly in view to the south was a grand temple, jutting up above the rest of the skyline. Almost like it was intended that way. 

_He fancies himself an 'artistic killer'..._

She bared her teeth at the temple in a soundless snarl. _Found you._

Wait. She needed a weapon. Sure, she could just go up there with magic and charm, but she was kidding herself if she thought she was at her best like that. She looked around, laughing bitterly at her instinctual optimism; what weapon was there going to be here? In Soraka's grove, the healer starchild, who - 

Her foot bumped into something metal, and she looked down.

Soraka's staff. At the end was a spike, intersecting with a crescent moon. It had a hook, a point, and something resembling a blade, all in one. It was not exactly a conventional naginata, but it would do. "I'll just borrow this," she breathed, as she scooped it up; she twirled it in her hands, testing its weight and its balance, neither of which were exactly optimal but would serve her purposes. Then, she dashed off. 

A wall of flame met her almost immediately. But she held an image of Riven in her mind - this one, laughing in the moonlight as Ahri tickled her, back at the Institute - and she lunged directly through it. It never touched her, and she laughed as she sprang onward. She laughed at her power. She laughed at this threat on her life. As if she would ever die! She was having too much fun!

When she reached a building, she vaulted directly up it, dashing with her foxfire to the roof. And then again, to the next floor, and then to the next building. And on, and on, she ran, sprinting along and taunting the fire as she passed by it and over it. But a deep anxiety began to settle in her stomach as she approached the temple, and she hurried. She didn't know what, but something was happening there - something she needed to be there for. _Now._

 

It had been a long time since Karma had fought someone, in earnest. Fatigue was showing between both of them, as they paused almost cordially for just a moment's breath, guards still raised. But at every hesitation, she had to check Jhin as well, who paced, twirling his weapon, tauntingly close to the floor's edge. If she could simply reach him, she could easily knock him off of the roof. He knew this. It was a part of his plan, and she had to subvert it, somehow. 

But Nazeguro remained between them; he knew his task well. A part of Karma threatened panic, pleading that her only option was to escape; even if she deflected Jhin's fatal fourth shot, she didn't have the strength to take down Nazeguro with these injuries, let alone apprehending Jhin afterward. She knew Ahri was alive, and she knew Riven was out there somewhere - they would be safe! 

But another part of her refused, for a number of reasons. She couldn't take the risk that Ahri could escape on her own, or that Jhin had no contingencies; she had no guarantee that Riven was safe either, after all. She couldn't allow Jhin and Nazeguro to get away, not when she had them so close. Maybe she wanted the satisfaction of taking down Jhin personally, too. It didn't matter. Her choice was made. 

The pause had gone on a bit long. Karma swirled her hands in a circle before her, drawing her spirit into a sphere - as she did, something contacted it, and she directed the shield like lightning into that contact. The Nazeguro before her dissolved, revealing another beside her, convulsing with her redirected attack; momentarily satisfied, she turned her attention to Jhin. He raised his arm with a great flourish - 

He fired, but Karma had the time to react; she again raised one hand to snatch the shot out of the air, but instead of merely deflecting it, she guided it in a half-circle behind her and hurled it back at Jhin. It burst into a curl of wispy white energy - but then, roots burst from the earth, wrapping around Jhin's prosthetic legs and rooting him firmly in place. He glanced down, caught off guard. Without hesitation, she spun on her heel, chanting: "Sae eleisa tera vi!" A great surge of energy unfurled from her shoulders, briefly forming into a pair of dragons - they lashed out, seeking Nazeguro even as he concealed himself to ambush her, curling about him and lashing him to the floor; he struggled against the binds, but for now, they held. She had disarmed them both. 

She strode towards Jhin, her arms folded, in spite of her shoulder's agonized protest. This was far from the worst pain she had endured. "Ambition is not an Ionian virtue," she intoned. "See where it has taken you."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jhin murmured, lowly but harmoniously, almost... playfully, and as he did there was a soft but distinct _click_. Karma froze, glancing down at her feet - the tile beneath her erupted into white flame as she jumped back, fading just as quickly as it had started.

But it wasn't meant to burn her. With a flash, an unseen fuse ignited, a bundle of sparks streaking towards the Melter shell. Karma snarled - of course, the madman intended to kill all three of them! Though her arms felt as though hanging by their seams, Karma lifted them, and roared: " _Lath rian oune vi!_ " The fire of her soul flooded the room, swirling around them defensively at just the last moment as the charge detonated. The chemical weapon seared even at her spirit; she gasped as she felt strength evaporating, burned away from her, but even so she held it at bay.

"None of you die today," Karma cried, between hissing breaths. "You answer for your crimes to the people of Ionia!" 

"Yes, that's good," Jhin whispered. A strange light seemed to glint from beneath his mask, as she stared at him. Suddenly panicked, she looked back to Nazeguro, but he was only just beginning to recover from her previous attack. "Yes," Jhin continued. "You shielded us. Sublime, Karma. So noble." 

"I won't grant you the mercy of escape!" Karma snapped, raising her arms - but - her shoulders burned, she grimaced and found her full strength difficult to summon. Even her soul seemed to be burning low. What had happened? But it didn't matter; she still had enough strength for him.

"You've taught me something very valuable today," Jhin breathed, reverently. "Art _wants_ to be created, doesn't it? Even with all of my tampering and your protecting, in the end, it came together the way it was always intended to." 

"Silence," Karma growled. "Put down your - "

Ahri vaulted over the railing behind him; he whirled, raising his gun at her, and she froze, doe-eyed, suddenly confused and terrified. In that moment, all of Karma's bravado and confidence, her fear and her doubt, her planning and careful preparation - it evaporated. After all she had done, she would not let Ahri die. 

She screamed, " _SAE ELEISA TERA VI_!" All the strength that was left in her surged to Ahri, in one final defense. But Jhin swung his arm around, almost casually, directly at Karma's chest, and fired. 

 

The shot was thunderous, and echoed across the city, its recoil so great the gun nearly left Jhin's hand. Ahri had never seen Jhin, never seen his weapon, but she understood very clearly that nothing was taking a shot from that and surviving it. 

Karma stumbled, and fell onto her back, bouncing raggedly off the floor. Her legs worked, faintly, trying to push her backwards, or trying to find the purchase to stand, in vain. Another stranger, bearing swords, pushed himself upright and began to move towards her; Jhin produced a small cartridge and advanced as well, casually reloading his weapon. But Ahri screamed and surged between them, slashing at Nazeguro with her makeshift spear - he only narrowly dodged the blow. 

"NO!" she shrieked. "STAY AWAY FROM MY MOTHER!" 

"This would have been easier if you were somewhat more impressed," Jhin grumped. Ahri screeched at him, wordless and wholly enraged. 

"You have caused enough problems for one day," the other growled, storming forward again. Ahri realized that she was defending Karma from two sides - but she couldn't let that stop her, Karma needed her and she was not about to fail! She lunged directly into Nazeguro's chest and knocked him backwards, knowing he would not expect a full-on tackle, and then whirled and focused her eyes into Jhin's mask, seething with hot rage, projecting onto him her love for Karma - he froze, midway through lifting his weapon, and Ahri reached out and grasped for his soul, and even several meters away she pulled as hard as she could. He gagged - fell to a knee - 

But Nazeguro had recovered; she heard him, and was forced to abandon concentration, bounding closer to Karma and swiping the scepter at Jhin's hands. He only narrowly avoided being disarmed, and twirled, firing once at Ahri, but she managed to sway out of its path as she parried both of Nazeguro's strikes in one swirling motion. They were slow; she was fast. But still, there were two of them, and Karma was exposed again. Desperate, she swung the scepter like a bat at Nazeguro's head, and he blocked it - but then Ahri dropped the scepter, and whirled around to face Jhin, trying to charm him once more; he had pulled out a second weapon and she yelped in alarm and had to skitter to one side to dodge it, then again to the other side to avoid second shot from his primary weapon, and Nazeguro was now much too close to Karma, and - 

There was a crackling of thunder - 

Ahri saw only a whirling of steel at first, but she quickly parsed the black-and-silver shape, relief flooding her. "Go," Zoe hissed, knocking Nazeguro back briefly. "Get him!" Ahri whirled to see Jhin sprinting for distance; she snatched up the scepter again and followed. She was much, much faster. Jhin hardly had a chance to bring his weapon to bear before Ahri was upon him. 

She didn't want his soul. It disgusted her. So she just smashed him with the end of the scepter. His mask shattered and he sprawled to the side, clutching his head; she stared at him, then at the makeshift weapon. It wasn't sharp. So she bashed him again; he cried out in agony, and she roared and bashed him again. And again. And again. 

He stopped moving after that. The room was eerily still - Ahri looked over to see that Zoe had wormed herself behind Nazeguro and cut his throat. The girl had collapsed onto her knees, panting; Ahri wondered how hard it had been for her to get here. How... how wonderful her timing. Ahri might have... 

...Karma... 

She dropped the weapon and dashed over to her. Blood had pooled all around her on the floor, but her eyes remained dimly open, and they focused on Ahri as she slid onto her knees beside her. "Mom," she gasped, looking down - there was a gaping, shredded hole in her chest, and Ahri felt sick looking at it, so she looked away, but her vision blurred and her throat closed up. "No," she coughed, "no, please, mother..."

"You're safe," Karma whispered. "Thank the gods." 

"What do I do?" Ahri sobbed. "I don't know how to heal people!"

Karma laughed. It was a faint, breathy version of her normal laugh; Ahri heard it fully in her mind. Low, and full, and prideful. She felt that her heart would burst. This might be the last time she ever heard Karma laugh. "You've already done your best, Ahri." 

"No," she pleaded, shaking her head, holding her shoulders. "No. Don't - don't go. Please! I love you! You're the first human that cared about me!"

"But I won't be the last," Karma sighed. "And I'm... very happy for that." She leaned her head back, eyes slipping closed; her chest rose, with one slow breath, though she coughed and blood slipped through her lips. Ahri cried out, but she didn't know what to say anymore. She felt Karma's fingers very faintly trying to pull at her robe - she reached down and clasped Karma's hand tightly, and Karma smiled. 

"Ahri." 

Ahri nodded, leaning in closer. Karma's voice was slipping. 

"Do... whatever makes you happy." Her eyes opened slowly again. "You deserve... a full life."

"I will," Ahri promised weakly. 

"Stay close to Riven," Karma continued. "She'll... protect you." 

"I'll protect her, too," Ahri said fiercely. "I'll protect everyone I love!"

"I know you will." She coughed again - Ahri wondered if she had tried to laugh. "Don't... don't let me die here, Ahri." 

For a moment, Ahri blanked, not sure what she meant. But then her eyes softened. She gripped Karma's hand tighter. She remembered when Riven asked her the same thing - the panic, the revulsion, of consuming someone she never wanted to watch die. But... this... was different. And so was Ahri. 

"Stay with me forever, mom," she whispered. Karma nodded faintly. She took a deep breath, and leaned in, and kissed her forehead - pulling, very gently, as if afraid to hurt her. She felt the surge of blue, a calm warmth, swelling around her, into her... she tried to hold it, to prevent it from fading away, but before she knew it, nothing was left.

Karma was gone.


	14. Chapter 14

The ground shook, shocking Ahri back to life - she gasped and looked up to see Zoe doubled over, fist pressed to the floor, shivering. "I failed," the girl whispered. "I failed. I'm- " She coughed, and shook her head. "Fuck." Ahri stared, and listened, numbly. Her eyes were drawn back to the floor - but she couldn't bring herself to really... see. Even still, she could not stand to see what she had done. 

They were quiet. The wind and fire roared beneath them, in the streets; crumbling and grinding alerted them to the continued weakening of the mountainside. But they didn't move. 

"Okay." Zoe spoke first; she slammed the ground with her fist again, but this time used it to push herself up; her hair hung over her face, as she extended a hand to Ahri. "We've got to move. The tunnel you found can get us out of the city. Come on." 

Ahri nodded, slowly helping herself up; the room spun a little, and as she followed Zoe back to the side of the building, she felt that she hadn't moved at all. A part of her cried out that she couldn't leave. She had to stay. But... there was no point to that anymore. There were others...

She gasped. "Zoe," she breathed, "where's - where's everyone else?"

"Rhea is safe," Zoe said quietly. "I don't know where Riven is, but I'll find her." 

Ahri bunched up her hands and tails nervously. "I'll come with you," she offered. "I - "

"No," Zoe roared, whirling around, fists thrust out and nostrils flared. "No," she repeated, softer, voice quivering with anger. "My job is to protect you. We get you out first. Then I find Riven. Got it?"

Ahri nodded weakly, and swallowed. "I - I know my way back to the passage," she offered hesitantly. "I can... go by myself."

Zoe sighed, and shook her head. "I'm not leaving you alone, Ahri."

Again, Ahri nodded, accepting defeat. She didn't have it in her to fight just then. 

 

Zoe led her back to the passage. The house had burned down, but someone - Zoe, perhaps? - had cleared a path out of the rubble, and Ahri was able to climb inside. Once she had slipped underground, she looked back to see that Zoe had dashed off again. So she plodded down the steps, shivering, alone. 

A silent eternity seemed to pass. Ahri wondered what, and who, was waiting on the other side. She didn't want to find out. She didn't know where she was going. Without Karma, she couldn't go back to the Institute. She didn't have a home to return to. She had killed to live, only to have the foundation of her life... vanish. Where did that leave her? 

At last, a light showed - as Ahri approached it, she saw a figure standing by it and slowed. But that figure was Vaughn, who looked up wide-eyed, and whirled to say something discreet through the opening. Someone out of sight passed him a huge cloak, and she offered it up to Ahri. "Take this, quick," he hissed. She nodded, and swept it on, drawing the hood over her eyes and curling her tails around each other to try to hide them. Then Vaughn ushered her out into the light. 

There were many people gathered there; some, she identified quickly as Elders, but many others she recognized as shop owners from the Ascent. She smiled a little to realize how many people had made it out safely, and as she watched, she saw Rhea scurrying to and fro, handing out blankets to fight off the chilling valley winds. She caught Ahri's eye, however, and hurried over to her and Vaughn. 

"You're okay," she gasped, with relief, embracing Ahri tightly. Ahri was too nonplussed to hug back. "Thank the gods. Where is Zoe? Did you see her?" Ahri nodded soundlessly. "Is she okay?" Another nod, more firm. 

"She saved me," Ahri mouthed. Rhea released her, smiled gently into her face. 

"I'm glad she made it, then. Where is she?"

"Looking for Riven." 

"Right. You haven't seen her?" She shook her head. "Well, I hope she's alright, too. I'm sure Zoe will get to her. Is Karma with them?" 

Ahri froze. She felt her eyes stinging and quickly looked away. But the damage was done. 

"Oh, no. Ahri..." Rhea pulled her in again, holding her tighter - Ahri felt warm and safe and hidden. She reached out feebly and gripped Rhea's leathers, burying her face in Rhea's shoulder. The tears came freely after that, without prompt or bidding or warning or anything. She just... silently cried, and Rhea held her, and let her. 

Rhea... was nice. She liked Rhea a lot. 

"She was a great woman," Rhea murmured softly. Ahri wasn't sure, but she thought Rhea's voice was choked up, too. "I was honored to work with her... and I hoped that maybe we might be friends, at the end of all of this." 

"She would have liked you," Ahri sniffled. Rhea nodded sagely above her. 

"She cared for you so deeply, Ahri," Rhea sighed. "I'm so sorry." 

There were more foosteps coming from down the tunnel, behind Ahri - she whirled, and saw Riven approaching, and cried out her name and jumped at her and Riven snatched her up and - and - 

Riven was here. Riven was here! 

"You're alive," Ahri whimpered. "Oh, gods, you're okay!"

"I'm here now," Riven whispered. "You sound way better. You okay?" Ahri nodded fervently, and didn't elaborate; Riven didn't ask. "Okay. Ahri, listen. Let's see if we can help out here any, okay?" Ahri nodded again, and they turned to Rhea; sure enough, the noble's eyes were a bit swollen, but she folded her arms and resumed a stern expression easily. Zoe stood beside Ahri as well, ready for orders. 

 

Into the evening, Ahri worked - out of sight, behind the veil of her cloak and hood - to prepare tents, food, clothing, bedding, for what turned out to be several hundred refugees. The upper city had been virtually emptied, but the Ionian Elder Guard had measures available to neutralize Melter munitions and was able to contain the landslide to the point that most everyone could return home that evening. Still, caring for the ones that could not just yet kept her working tirelessly all day.

She was sure people saw her. Ionians, that would have called her Kijo and had her arrested. But they said and did nothing. They met her gaze, most solemnly thankful. It was nice. She was doing her best to help, and... they understood that after all. And yet, even so, she felt more alien than ever, trapped behind her mask. She didn't belong here; no multitude of good deeds would change that. 

That evening, when the refugees were preparing for sleep, Rhea came to her and instructed her to wait on the treeline outside of the valley city. Keith and Vaughn were there already, along with a great mountain of backpacks and bags, and soon the other girls joined them. Ahri understood she was to come with the mercenaries now. She didn't mind it. She took off her hood; Keith assigned her a few things to carry, and they silently started their trek to the south. Away from the city. No one spoke; no one needed to give voice to their grief, and Ahri felt a sense of relief that when she cried again, no one stopped her or questioned her. Riven just edged closer, and Ahri leaned on her shoulder. 

They didn't go far; it was late, and everyone was exhausted. They set up camp at the foot of the next ridge, a good ways off the path. Still everyone was quiet. 

Ahri's bags didn't have any bedding - so she approached Riven, who had a bedroll, with the assumption that they would share. But instead, Riven sat beside it, and gestured for Ahri to get in.

"No," Ahri whispered. "Come sleep with me."

"I won't be able to sleep," Riven sighed. "I have a lot to think over."

"I won't be able to sleep, either," Ahri countered, a bit indignantly. 

Riven squinted, chewing her lip. "Yeah," she agreed, after a moment. "Yeah, okay."

As if waiting for this signal, the others gathered around - Keith and Zoe sat in their bedrolls, but the eldest sat upon or beside them, waiting expectantly, eyes on Riven. Riven drummed her thigh briefly, staring through the earth; then she sighed heavily, and shook her head.

 

"Well, what can I say," she muttered. "We failed." 

 

"It wasn't a total failure," Keith responded softly. "I talked up Rhea a lot, and by the end of today I heard a lot of people saying some good things about us, and pointing fingers at Ionians, not Noxians. I don't think they'll take the bait, Riven. Our job was to prevent a war, and for now, I think we've prevented it." 

"In the grand scheme of things," Vaughn added lowly, "we saved a lot of people. The number of casualties should have been huge. This was a terrorist attack, and we were able to damage control better than I think I've ever seen."

"Thank you, both of you," Riven sighed, smiling at each of them sincerely. "You've both worked incredibly hard today. And I'm glad to hear that not everyone sees this as badly as I do. Maybe I'm overachieving here." 

"I think we did the best we could with what we had," Rhea said quietly. "And I think Keith is right. If the war starts, it won't be here. It won't be because Noxus goaded them into it." 

"Nevertheless," Riven continued, "I don't think we're safe staying there. We're suspects, and Ahri has her own reasons for needing to leave." There were nods of agreement all around. Ahri liked this - she liked... being part of the discussion. Everyone else was lost too. They were going to go somewhere together. They were like a family.

...There was a tense pause. Riven looked away. 

"It's okay, Riven," Rhea said quietly. "You don't want to go with us." 

Ahri blinked, and looked up sharply, shocked. "What? Why? What do you mean?" 

"That's not it," Riven muttered, shaking her head. "It's... I don't know. I'm just..." She pushed herself up suddenly, folding her arms and starting to pace around them. "We took a job against Noxus. What's the follow up to that? We can't just go back and market that we were the ones responsible for stopping that attack when Noxus _wanted_ it to start a war. Can we even really fight comfortably for Noxus anymore? Is that really what you all want?" 

"We're mercs, Riven," Vaughn rumbled. "We take jobs and do 'em. That's all there is to it." 

Riven had paused, and she stared at him in disbelief. "That's it?" she breathed. "After what you saw here today, you're content?"

"Aw, hell, Riven, I'm not going to be the one throwing the acid at Demacia next," Vaughn snarled, "I'm just saying, we don't have to have a crisis over this - we're gonna do what we've always done, we're gonna do our jobs!"

"This isn't my job!" Riven snapped. "I won't lower myself to this! I deserve better! You deserve better!"

Vaughn was quiet at that.

"How can you - any of you just stand by and watch as our glorious empire _does_ this?!" she continued, her voice rising. "Doesn't it unnerve you even slightly? This was our home! We trained to fight there, we grew up and served in the military, we fought to be at the top, and this is how they represent us, and - Fuck, guys, I don't know, I just - "

She turned away, suddenly, kicking at the dirt and folding her arms again. Silence fell. Ahri watched her, then turned back to the others. No sooner had she felt she might belong somewhere, and that place fell apart immediately. What was she supposed to do?

_Do whatever makes you happy._

"So what do you want to do about it?" Vaughn asked. "Huh? You want to become a professional peace protester?"

"Don't insult her," Rhea snorted. "Riven, speak. Tell us. What do you want to do?" 

"I don't know," Riven sighed, her head rolling back, eyes pointed skyward. "I just... I don't think I can stand by and not do _anything_ anymore. I guess I wanted to believe I wasn't alone."

"You're not," Ahri said swiftly. Everyone turned to look at her; she flinched, but then she stood up, approaching Riven, who stared at her blankly. "You're not alone!" she repeated more loudly. "I'm going to follow you." 

"Ahri," Riven sighed. "This isn't - "

"I'm going to follow you," Ahri hissed. 

"So am I," Rhea said softly. They gasped, and turned, to see Rhea slowly and gingerly pushing herself up, folding her arms and approaching them; Zoe sat on her knees beside her bedroll now, as well, watching and listening close. "Riven's right," Rhea added firmly, turning back to the group. "When I joined you, Vaughn, I'd given up on Noxus, but Riven makes me feel hope for it again." 

Vaughn gnashed his teeth, and shook his head. "I'm not fighting for an empire," he growled. "Not now and not ever." 

"That's fine, Vaughn," Riven sighed. "It's not my place to make you."

Vaughn sat back, closing his eyes. Keith laid back down, as well. Ahri wondered what their connection was; she had not known them long enough to know anything more about them, but still it intrigued her. She looked back at Riven, who was again biting her lip, staring sidelong at the brush. 

 

In the momentary quiet, Ahri heard footsteps - running steps. She turned to the source of the sound; it seemed to be coming down the road from the capital, and she silently pointed in that direction, drawing attention to it; the girls shifted back and hunched down, trying to stay out of sight. Sure enough, a single silhouette faded in from the moonlight, arms folded and some kind of stick clutched under their arms. Ahri thought she recognized the shape... she hesitantly approached, and it stopped and turned to look at her. 

"Ahri!!" Wukong had never sounded so sincerely and totally relieved in all the time Ahri had known him. He sprinted through the undergrowth to her; Ahri met him partway, returning his embrace. "Oh, man," he sighed, shaking his head into her shoulder. "I was so scared, Ahri. Everyone turning against you like that, and then you just go missing, and then - all the fire and acid and - Gods. But you're alright!" 

"I'm okay," Ahri murmured morosely. Behind her she could hear someone approaching from the mercenary group... probably Riven. 

"Are you still sick?" Wukong asked nervously. "That was the thing I worried about most, you know." Ahri shook her head nervously - and to her shock, Wukong chuckled. "Yeah, that's my Ahri! Come on, cheer up! You're feeling better, right!" 

"I had to kill people," Ahri muttered, angrily. 

"Yeah, we heard," Wukong agreed, a bit more sullen. "But that's the way of it, y'know? And I've already decided, Ahri. I'm on your side. You and I, we're buddies. Kindred spirits." Ahri looked up at him in total disbelief, and he smiled back at her. She had never realized he had such prominent fangs. "I'm not gonna let anyone get in the way of my dream of being the best," he said firmly. "I don't care what your dream is - don't let anyone stop you, either."

"Okay." Ahri nodded hesitantly. "I... I won't."

"Yeah. I believe in you." He gently ruffled her hair, and looked up at whoever was behind Ahri - she turned to see that her suspicion before had been correct. "And it's good to see you okay, too, Riven," he added more cordially. Riven inclined her head. 

"You as well," she offered softly. "Come to see Ahri off?" 

"I dunno, I just wanted to make sure she was okay," he huffed, shrugging and looking away. "I had a present for her, too, in case I found her." He hopped down to the stick he had dropped - it turned out it was two. One his own staff, of course, but the second... a beautiful ornate naginata, engraved on grip and blade with a flame pattern, a dark wood handle with iron castings at either end. Ahri accepted it gingerly as it was offered, staring. "You'll need that, I think," Wukong said more seriously. "If you're gonna go anywhere with Riven." 

"Thank you, Wukong," Ahri breathed. "Where... did you get it?" 

"Master Yi gave it to me years ago." Wukong shrugged. "I have a lot of his older weapons, maybe from people he once knew. But I'm good with my staff. So this is for you." 

"I'll take good care of it," Ahri promised, holding it close. Wukong grinned, and looked up at Riven again, who was smiling a bit bitterly. 

"So, um. Where you off to now?" Wukong asked. 

"We were just discussing that," Riven muttered, looking away and folding her arms. 

"Well, I'm just - maybe I'm a little biased." Wukong shuffled a bit on his feet. It didn't feel like a hyper motion to Ahri... it felt like a nervous one. "But y'know, with all that's happened and the accusations going around... Ahri's gotta have somewhere to go."

"I'm going with Riven," Ahri said firmly. "Wherever she goes."

"Where is that, though?" Wukong sounded more heated still. "You're not taking her back to Noxus, are you? Cause - y'know, I know you said your piece this morning about - "

"Shut up," Riven hissed. "Shut up! Just - stop it!" She whirled around, snarling back to the mercenaries, unseen. "Just give me a goddamn second of peace to think!" 

She stormed off. Wukong blinked, and glanced back at Ahri nervously, who glanced nervously back.

"Oops." 

 

Stupid. Stupid. _Why'd you do that, Riven?_ Stupid. She laughed to herself, quietly. But the pressure had been building up all day. "Where are you going" was such a simple, and harmless question... one that she hadn't had an answer to in years. 

It wasn't that she hadn't decided. It was just hard to accept her own decision. 

On one hand, it made a twisted, arrogant sort of sense. She didn't hate Noxus; she hated what Noxus had become, what it had allowed itself to be. She hated its complacency, she hated its self-righteousness, she hated the blind eye it turned to those it deemed unworthy. She hated the way that it spat on her own values, the values that she had always thought came from her home. It was nice to understand, and accept, that those were just _her values_ ; it freed her from Noxus, it allowed her to consider her role in the larger world. 

And she had considered that role. She could be a mercenary, sure. She could do a lot of things. She had time to learn new skills. But nothing felt right. It wasn't who she was, it wasn't what her values led her to be. They led her somewhere else. When Zoe had came to her, and explained what had happened... everything in her heart pointed to the same thing. Ahri had no home. Her only home was Riven. And Ahri had already latched on to that fact. 

Riven wasn't a wanderer anymore; that journey was over. The next stage for Riven was more terrifying than the prospect of facing her past had ever been. She understood now that she couldn't stand by and watch as the thing she wanted to be proud of tortured and butchered and burned, just for the sake of extra power and the mindless thrill of conquest. But she also understood that she needed a home. 

Not for herself. For Ahri. She needed to find somewhere that a sweet, kind, loving monster that loved to fight and would consume the people that dared to hurt her friends could be happy. Riven knew what that place looked like: it was the Noxus from her dreams and childhood memories, the Noxus that lay in her heart, waiting dormant like a wish that might one day come true. She couldn't just sit back and wait anymore. For the good of Valoran, she had to stop Noxus. And for the woman she loved, she had to shape it into the place she had always wanted it to be in the first place. 

She could do both things at once. If she was strong enough.

When she heard footsteps behind her, she correctly assumed it was Ahri. The fox approached hesitantly at first, until Riven glanced back and silently welcomed her forward; then she wrapped her arms around Riven's stomach and nestled into her shoulder. Riven hadn't realized how cold she was until the foxfire wrapped around her; she sighed in bliss as the warmth spread into her muscles and bones, relaxing her, soothing her tension. 

"Don't let them get to you," Ahri murmured. "I'll follow you even if you don't know where to go. We'll come up with places to go, together."

"I know, Ahri," Riven sighed. She had to tell her. That was the hardest part; the others would just laugh at her and say, "Yeah, okay, why the hell not." But for Ahri, this was much more than a why the hell not. Ahri's life was still long and full and precious. 

 

"Have I told you much about the political structure of Noxus?" Riven smiled a little, hoping to pretend she was going to tell a story. 

"I know there's a Grand General," Ahri murmured thoughtfully. "And he's in charge of a council of other generals, called High Command." 

"That's right," Riven agreed. "The Grand General is supposed to be the strongest person in Noxus. So sometimes, if people believe you're strong enough to lead the country, you can challenge him." 

Ahri gasped. She knew immediately; Riven suppressed a wince. "Riven, that's perfect."

Wait. That wasn't the reaction she expected. She turned slowly, brow knitted. "That's - what? You _want_ to?"

"Yes." Ahri's eyes were glittering. She was beaming. "This is what I meant! This is what I was hoping for! You were always so scared about the war, and about Noxus being - like this - " She flapped her arms back towards the capital, and grinned, bouncing on her heels. "We won't give up! We won't accept an ultimatum! That's not what humans do! Humans change their fate, humans bend the world to their will!"

Riven laughed. "You've just been waiting for me to say, 'fuck it, let's fix Noxus' all this time, huh?"

"It doesn't matter what other path you found," Ahri exclaimed. "This one sounds very intimidating, but it also sounds exciting and fulfilling. I'd love to walk it with you, Riven. I want to see Noxus the way you see it, I want to watch the world realize how beautiful and amazing of a country you grew up in. I want to be by your side as you decide your own destiny. Is - Is that okay? Can your destiny include me?" 

"I certainly hope that it does," Riven breathed, shaking her head in wonder. She turned to face Ahri fully, touching their foreheads; Ahri's eyes shone in the moonlight, the same as she remembered from the Frostbound March - the eyes that had penetrated the weakness in Riven's heart, and found the strength to carry on that Riven never thought she had. In that moment she swore her pledge, to herself, to Karma's memory: she would carve out a home for Ahri. 

"Alright, Ahri." She took a deep breath, and grinned. "Let's fix Noxus."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good grief. This behemoth of a fanfiction is finally complete and posted and everything. 
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this. I'm very sorry to those of you that started out following along and have had to wait several months for the last several parts; as you can imagine, they got quite a bit longer than I anticipated, but I'm glad that I put all that extra heart and time into them because I feel that it came out very, very well. 
> 
> I need to take a long break from League writing after this. I have some more cute fluffy ideas for other fandoms that I'll probably pursue, but Part 4 of Resurgence is definitely coming. Just be patient. And if you're only here for Riven/Ahri, then - if you couldn't tell - definitely stay tuned. Because there will be a lot more of them. (Maybe they'll even get to be happy!) 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading. <3


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